'Fail Mary' backlash still hurts Bears' Stevenson

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- One twelvemonth removed from the costly play that defined his 2nd play with the Chicago Bears, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson says the backlash helium received for his relation successful tipping a Hail Mary pass against the Washington Commanders "still hurts."

"It was harsh," Stevenson said. "It wounded my feelings. That's the champion mode I tin explicate it. It conscionable wounded my feelings being a shot subordinate and having 1 of those mistakes that's going to linger around. Even erstwhile my lad grows up, I've gotta explicate that to him.

"It decidedly hurt. But conscionable usage it arsenic fuel."

The Bears were seconds distant from beating the Commanders successful Week 8 past play aft Caleb Williams led the discourtesy down the tract to people a touchdown and person a two-point effort with 27 seconds remaining.

When Washington lined up for the last play of the game, Stevenson was facing the other absorption portion jawing with fans successful the stands astatine Northwest Stadium.

Once Stevenson realized the Commanders has snapped the ball, helium sprinted towards the backmost of the extremity portion and inadvertently tipped the shot into the hands of Washington wide receiver Noah Brown.

The Commanders won 18-15, en way to reaching the NFC Championship Game. The nonaccomplishment for Chicago, meanwhile, marked the archetypal of 10 consecutive for the Bears, who fired violative coordinator Shane Waldron and manager Matt Eberflus on the way.

Stevenson apologized successful a squad meeting the pursuing day. While helium was backed by teammates for owning up to his mistake, not everyone was speedy to determination past the blunder.

"They gave maine support," Stevenson recalled Wednesday. "Being honest, I got a mates side-eyes. But that comes with, similar I was saying connected the [Bears information Kevin Byard's] podcast, this is what we bash for a living. This is who we are successful immoderate cases. And the champion happening we tin bash is spell retired determination and marque large plays.

"I enactment a atrocious play connected film. The champion happening they could bash was travel astir and enactment their limb astir maine and beryllium like, 'we got you.' That's what they showed maine each past year."

The Bears (2-2, 0-2), coming disconnected a bye, question to look the Commanders connected Monday Night Football. Since 2013, Chicago is 2-10 successful games straight aft a bye week, and Stevenson expects that fixed his caller history, fans volition effort to instrumentality his absorption disconnected the crippled erstwhile again.

"Going backmost to a hostile environment, they're going to bash their champion occupation to rattle maine arsenic overmuch arsenic they can," Stevenson said. "The champion happening I tin bash is travel retired present and amusement these 10 guys I'm locked successful and acceptable to go."

Stevenson's teammates accidental what happened against Washington has nary bearing connected the benignant of subordinate helium is currently.

"That s--- ended aft that," cornerback Kyler Gordon told ESPN. "He took it in, apologized, and I consciousness similar from past on, he's been that mode -- that [he's] not going to fto radical make this communicative astir him. Go retired there, inactive bash what I do, and I consciousness similar that's what he's going to support his absorption connected each week."

As Stevenson reflected connected the magnitude of alteration he's experienced professionally and personally since Week 8 of the 2024 season, which included the commencement of his son, Tyri...