The confusing disappearance of Tyrique Stevenson

Tyrique Stevenson didn't play a single snap in the Bears' 19-16 loss against the Lions on Saturday afternoon. Why was that the case?

Dec 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) takes the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

We're witnessing Tyrique Stevenson getting phased out of the Bears' defense in real time. For the first time in his career, he didn't play one single defensive snap in the team's disappointing 19-16 loss against Detroit yesterday.

He wasn't a healthy scratch, but he might as well have been. It was, by far, the biggest outlier of his career. A career that has featured many ups and downs, mind you. He even played 79 percent of the snaps the week after playing a pivotal role in one of the most inexcusable late-game gaffes in recent history. I know that was under a different, much more incompetent, coaching staff, but under these circumstances, it's still fair to ask why.

Why was Stevenson relegated to cheerleader duty on Chicago's sideline?

I'm not sure there is an answer to that question besides examining his recent subpar performances. However, if there is, Bears' head coach Ben Johnson certainly won't be the one to tell the media about it.

Ben Johnson on why Tyrique Stevenson, who was not dealing with injury, did not play vs. Detroit: "We felt good about where Shonny and Jaylon were and we wanted those guys to take a bulk of the snaps."

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 5, 2026

I would understand his lack of involvement if Wright and Johnson were holding down the ship, but that was far from the case. The Bears' defense couldn't get off the field, and, for once, the secondary was the main reason why that was the case (considering the pass-rush is usually most to blame for the third-down struggles). Wright got exposed in coverage time and time again for the second week in a row, while Johnson stood no chance in man coverage against Detroit's speedy receivers.

No one is arguing whether Johnson is a better cover man than Stevenson, but he hasn't played like himself since returning to the lineup. That's no surprise considering the fact that he underwent core muscle surgery a few months ago, but the fact remains. Stevenson could've at least kept up better and given him, or his struggling counterpart, a breather.

The 25-year-old has been getting phased out gradually over the past month, as he played 33, 27, and 18 snaps against the Browns, Packers, and 49ers, respectively. However, for him to get benched raises some alarm bells. Especially when he didn't stand out nearly as much as Wright did in his most recent action (albeit in limited fashion) against San Francisco.

I don't mean to be a tinfoil hatter, but I think there might be something else going on behind the scenes that could've contributed to his benching. Even if it's just due to bad practice habits, he's doing something wrong outside of not making the most of his snaps on the field.

With nickelback CJ Gardner-Johnson suffering a concussion late in the game against Detroit, we might see the Bears shuffle the deck a bit in the Wild Card matchup against Green Bay. While Ben Johnson said that he hopes Kyler Gordon will return to practice this week, there still might be an opportunity for Stevenson to make an impact.

I think one potential outcome stemming from that injury is Johnson playing more in the slot (if they want to ease Gordon into the lineup) with Stevenson and Wright playing on the outside. Alternatively, they will probably rely on Jaylon Jones, who came in for CJGJ late in the game against Detroit, or Nick McCloud, to play in the slot against Green Bay. Either of those scenarios would make a major statement on how they view Stevenson.

While the defensive alignment on Saturday night is strictly speculation, one thing is for sure: If Stevenson doesn't find a way to get into the good graces of the coaching staff soon, and they lose Nahshon Wright in free agency, then you can put the cornerback position near the top of Chicago's offseason wish list.

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