The rallying of Chicago Bear Teammates around cornerback Tyrique Stevenson after his mental lapse led to the Washington Commanders’ improbable Hail Mary was a big step forward for team chemistry that continues to show.
One of those teammates looking to get Stevenson back is veteran safety and 2024 team captain Kevin Byard. Speaking to the media on Monday, Byard opted not to name Stevenson as one of the captains because the young cornerback addressed the team before anything could be said.
Byard said that after Stevenson took responsibility, there was nothing else to tell him about his mental state. The video showed him taunting the crowd and being out of position, leading to Noah Brown’s game-winning touchdown reception.
"Maybe you were planning to tell him something, but the fact that he went there and admitted his mistake," Byard said. “….obviously nothing else needed to be said.”
The respect for Stevenson didn’t end Monday afternoon, as on his podcast “Intercepted with Kevin Byard,” the veteran was joined by teammate Jaylon Jones to discuss a variety of topics, including Stevenson’s taking on responsibility. It was on his podcast in which Byard said he respected Stevenson for addressing the team Monday morning and how a few defensive coaches helped bring the unit together.
“He recognized his mistake, he matured, and I respect him for that and I apologize for his actions,” Byard said. “Yeah, he was supposed to box his guy. Our trainer said if you have a kid and he does something that disappoints you, he’s still your kid, you still love him. So Rique, he’s still our brother, we” I will always love him. I just feel like he’s matured just by putting himself in front of the team, I think ultimately he’s going to learn from his mistakes.
Being one of the team’s veteran leaders, Byard not only addressed Stevenson and his actions, he also spoke to head coach Matt Eberflus about the late game sequence. Before the Hail Mary play, the Bears allowed Terry McLaurin to complete 13 yards, which gave the Commanders a better opportunity with better field position.
It was during this 13-yard pass that Byard approached head coach Matt Eberflus to discuss his thoughts on the play and what he would have done differently for the defense on this play.
“He has his feelings about it. I think there are a lot of different ways to defend these plays,” Byard said. “Personally, I think in this scenario the corners could have been rushed up there because they just went two outs and the play was called off just to get a few extra yards to throw it down the field.
“If you had the rush guys, maybe they would convert to verticals and actually run the Hail Mary, but even if they did and our corners ran with those guys, I’m not saying that he [Jayden Daniels] doesn’t have the arm strength, but you think the ball lands maybe 10 yards shorter and it might be a little different. I’m not saying that, we don’t know, looking back on it, it’s always I woulda, I coulda, I shoulda. But in the end, things happened the way they happened. Could we have exerted pressure? Maybe. He called and that’s how it was.”
There were several examples of veteran leaders stepping up after the heartbreaking collapse and loss to the Commanders last week, and Byard showing his leadership in his first year with the team is a great look for the locker room . Many questions surround the coaching staff regarding their decisions and their handling of the defeat, but the team captains stepped up significantly.
This article was originally published on Bears Wire: Bears’ Kevin Byard supports Tyrique Stevenson after mental lapse
