The Chicago Bears got off to another brutal start in the 2023 regular season. 0-4 heading into their Week 5 matchup with the Washington Commanders, rumors were floating around that they would fire head coach Matt Eberlus if the team lost that game.
With their head coach’s job potentially on the line, the Bears responded with a dominant 40-20 victory, their first win of the season. While there have been some more bumps in the road since then, the team has really started turning things around.
The Bears are now 7-9 heading into their season finale against the Green Bay Packers. They have won four out of their last five games and had they avoided making the kind of history no team wants to be known for, they would be in a position to earn a Wild Card spot.
There have been several reasons Chicago has gotten things on track, as they are going to be heading into the 2024 offseason with plenty of positive momentum. Major decisions lie ahead that will determine the path of the franchise for years to come, but there are some nice foundational pieces to build around on this roster.
One of those players is rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. A second-round pick out of Miami (FL), No. 56 overall, Stevenson has started all 15 games he has appeared in this season. He has surpassed all expectations, putting together a season worth of Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration.
As shared by MLFootball on X, Stevenson has had an incredible rookie campaign. He leads all rookies in tackles this season with 79, which is fourth on the Bears. His four interceptions are first amongst rookies as well and his 15 passes defended are sixth in the NFL.
Stevenson is part of a strong core the Bears have put together that was strengthened by the addition of defensive end Montez Sweat ahead of the deadline. They have improved immensely since his acquisition and have looked better with Eberflus calling the plays on that side of the ball.
The future is bright in Chicago and Stevenson is a big reason why. With ample cap space and a ton of draft capital at their disposal, the Bears are a team on the rise heading into the 2024 offseason.
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