There were plenty of moments during the Chicago Bears' 2024 season that drew criticism and attention, but none were more noteworthy than the final play of the Bears and Washington Commanders matchup.
On the final play, with the game all but over in favor of the Bears, Jayden Daniels connected with Noah Brown on a miraculous Hail Mary that devastated Bears fans. Shortly afterwards, Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson became the target of fans' blame.
Now, with the Bears set to have a rematch against the Commanders for Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season, Stevenson reflected on the brutal Hail Mary. Courtney Cronin of ESPN shared his comments on the Hail Mary and how it's still hurting him nearly a year later.
Tyrique Stevenson reveals Hail Mary play vs Commanders still hurts nearly one year later
"It was harsh," Stevenson said. "It hurt my feelings. That's the best way I can explain it. It just hurt my feelings being a football player and having one of those mistakes that's going to linger around."
The brutal reality of this play was succinctly explained by Stevenson: "Even when my son grows up, I've got to explain that to him."
Stevenson, before the Commanders' miraculous Hail Mary, was seen jawing with fans before turning around and inadvertently tipping the ball to a Commanders receiver in the endzone.
If Stevenson was focused on the play from start to finish, and this still happened, it'd be a brutal way to lose, but he wouldn't face nearly as much blame and ire. But, since he wasn't paying attention at the beginning of the play, Stevenson was saddled with the blame for the loss.
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It was a heartbreaking loss, especially since it came at the hands of the quarterback drafted one spot after Caleb Williams in that year's 2024 NFL Draft. So many circumstances made this outcome disastrous for Stevenson, and a year later, he's still feeling the effects.
With the Bears making the trip out to Washington for Week 6, Stevenson is sure to face plenty of fans mocking him for the Hail Mary one year ago. But he's prepared and ready to block out the noise.
"Going back to a hostile environment," Steveson said, "they're going to do their best job to rattle me as much as they can. The best thing I can do is come out here and show these 10 guys I'm locked in and ready to go."
The Hail Mary play will continue to live in infamy forever, but Stevenson needs to put it behind him and move on. While it still hurts him to this day, he's moving on as best he can and trying to prove to his teammates that he's locked in and ready to go, unlike how he was in his lowest moment as a professional.
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