Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has apologized to his teammates after his costly mistake led to a last-second loss on Sunday. Bears coach Matt Eberflus told reporters on Monday that Stevenson had apologized during a team meeting earlier that morning.
The Washington Commanders shocked Chicago for a 18-12 win after successfully hitting a Hail Mary with no time left on the clock. Stevenson, who had been taunting Washington fans while the ball had already gone into play, missed his coverage and accidentally tipped the ball into Commander receiver Noah Brown’s hands.
Per Eberflus, Stevenson was the player who was supposed to defend Brown, but that he was thrown off by a lapse in concentration. Stevenson took full accountability for his role in the loss when speaking to his teammates, Eberflus said.
“It was a really good moment for him to be able to do that, show responsibility and accountability,” Eberflus said, via Chris Emma of 670 The Score.
Stevenson issued an apology on social media after the game, saying that “notes taken, improvement will happen.”
Eberflus told reporters that the team would “look at” potential punishment for Stevenson, but that plans for any discipline would remain internal, per WGN TV’s Chris Boden.
One of Stevenson’s teammates, Bears tight end Cole Kmet, also spoke reporters about the apology, saying that Stevenson admitted that what he did was unacceptable and that the team appreciated his honesty, via Boden.
With the loss, the Bears slipped to 4-3. Chicago has one more away game against the Arizona Cardinals before hosting three home games in a row.