Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Sunday's 24-17 season-opening win over the Titans.
The second-year pro intercepted Will Levis and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown with 7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, which gave the Bears their first lead of the game and capped off a stretch of 24 unanswered points.
"The goal was to go out there and hold them to a third-and-long, get off the field and give the ball back to Caleb [Williams]," Stevenson told reporters after the game. "[Will Levis] pitched it up, he made a mistake, and we just capitalized off it. I'm glad I gave this team the energy we needed to finish the game."
Stevenson finished the game with four tackles and two passes defended, including his interception. His splash play Sunday also marked the first-ever pick-six of his football career, including high school, college and his rookie season in the NFL.
Stevenson has now been tabbed NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in his career, with the first honor coming in Week 17 last season after he recorded two interceptions, four passes defended and five tackles in a 37-17 victory over the Falcons at Soldier Field. At the time, he was the first Bears player to earn the award since former safety Eddie Jackson in Week 12 of the 2018 season.
The Miami product is also the first Bear to receive the honor in back-to-back seasons and in each of their first two NFL seasons since Jackson in 2017 and 2018. He's also the first Bear to win the award in Week 1 since Brian Urlacher in 2011.
The 2023 second-round selection came off a strong rookie campaign where he started all 16 games he appeared in and registered 84 tackles, 16 passes defended, four interceptions – which tied Tremaine Edmunds and Jaylon Johnson for a team-high – two forced fumbles and one tackle-for-loss.
Stevenson felt confident in his preparation heading into Week 1 after going through his second NFL training camp.
"I definitely feel like I can come out there and show that I'm one of the top corners in the league," Stevenson said Aug. 20. "My dedication to my small details, you know, getting in and out of breaks and just figuring out where the ball's at, figuring out how they are going to throw it, is what I've been focusing on in this camp. Last camp it was 'show the guys on the team that you're here to play hard, show the coaching staff you're here.' Now it's like 'Let's ball. Let's run it.'"
