Tyrique Stevenson issues apology to Bears fans, teammates for taunting Commanders fans during Hail Mary play

Disregarding the play, disregarding his teammates, and disregarding his assignment. Chicago Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson disregarded everything but himself.

As such, it is no surprise that the second-year CB out of Miami was on the wrong end of a Hail Mary attempt against the Washington Commanders. This loss will go down in Bears history amongst the several others that have hurt the franchise in years. To defuse the situation, Stevenson took to X to apologize.

Here's the bottom line. No Bears fan can accept this. The game was won. All you had to do was keep quiet, do your job and go knock it down. If the Hail Mary happened and you did your job and it was just pure bad luck, then fine. But this is right here goes up with Tim McKyer and Tito Paul. Who?

Tim McKyer gave up a key touchdown to the Chargers in the 1994 AFC Title Game against the Steelers that lost Pittsburgh the game. Tito Paul blew the Broncos perfect season in 1998 by allowing Amani Toomer of the New York Giants to score. McKyer was released by Pittsburgh following the season. Paul didn't get cut, but he was hammered for it on the flight home by his teammates and rightfully so.

Tyrique Stevenson may have cost him and his teammates the game

So, what is the punishment? Well, Stevenson needs to be grilled on the United flight home, and if his teammates don't do it, they too need to be held accountable. All of his teammates, especially the defense, need to send the message. Secondly, head coach Matt Eberflus has to call out Stevenson in the team meeting for this, and if he doesn't, it should give ownership all the more reason to consider a possible change. Accountability is essential and deflecting and dodging blame signifies a losing mentality.

But above all, if ANYTHING needs to happen — a one-game benching as a healthy scratch. Period. If the Bears let this go, they essentially are sending the message of anyone can be above the team. Again, Tyrqiue Stevenson doesn't need to be fined, but he must be benched for one game. That would be sending the message that NO ONE, yes NO ONE, is above the team. Failure to do so would be catastrophic.

Sure, Stevenson did apologize, but why run from the media after the game like he said he did? Yes, you want to avoid saying something you would regret, that is fair and acceptable. However, had he won the game, there might not have been enough cameras for him to talk to. It goes both ways. Stevenson did apologize, but will his teammates really forgive him? He pulled an Antonio Brown on them, and that is NOT what you want. Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles are on the clock again with this decision.