As we continue to look at potential candidates for extensions or roster turnover, we switch back to the defense, and we look at Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson quickly became a fan favorite throughout his rookie season and kicked off year number two with a Pick Six against the Tennessee Titans. The sky was the limit for Stevenson, but since that Pick Six, he’s spent far too much time at his floor than his ceiling.
Stevenson has been wildly inconsistent with serious lapses in concentration during games.
He’s had coaches call out his lack of consistency (with both coaching staffs), and despite being what should be a great fit, he hasn’t shined like many thought he would in Dennis Allen’s defense.
Tyrique Stevenson: Slash
With the three years he’s put in so far, there’s absolutely zero chance the Bears will give Stevenson an extension heading into the 2026 season. Stevenson will be an unrestricted free agent in March of 2027, but the question is, is there any way the Bears do something with Stevenson before he reaches free agency?
Some of you might want to put Stevenson in the “Stash” category. What if Stevenson has a big year? What if Stevenson finally breaks out and becomes “the man?” I say, even if he does, I think there’s too much baggage to give out significant cash to Stevenson no matter how well he plays.
If Stevenson is a borderline Pro Bowl candidate and looks like he finally put it together, is it worth the Bears ponying up some sort of contract that would probably be in the ballpark of a 3-year deal worth around $15 or $16 million per season, maybe more? The Bears would probably have to guarantee Stevenson about 2 years of that contract as well. Should they be willing to do that?
Can you be confident that after you pay Stevenson, he will continue to be focused and play consistently? After three of the four years he was with Chicago, that was not the case.
I think Stevenson goes a similar path to Brisker. Last year we talked about Brisker and if he played well, would he be worth bringing back, despite the concussion issues in the past. Brisker didn’t get paid much at all by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means the Bears easily could have brought him back, but they moved on. Now Stevenson is a better fit for this defense than Brisker is, but regardless, it was pretty obvious before last season that Brisker was going to be gone after 2025 no matter how he played.
Stevenson has those vibes right now. He is most likely going to start this year despite losing his job last year simply because there isn’t a lot behind him that can push for a starting job this season.
Stevenson showed plenty of promise, but the lows are what are going to push him off the roster. Even if he rebounds and has a great season, it’s not worth throwing a contract his way; there’s just too high a chance that it’ll bite you in the butt. If Stevenson leaves and gets a decent contract and goes on to great things, great for Tyrique, but it’s simply too high a risk to see if that can happen in Chicago.
