Signs pointing to Bears punishing Tyrique Stevenson after Hail Mary blunder

Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has been a hot topic of conversation following his shortcomings on the game-winning Hail Mary in last Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders. Many were wondering whether some kind of punishment would be handed out, even after addressing and apologizing to his teammates.

On Wednesday, head coach Matt Eberflus was asked whether Stevenson would get benched following his actions. While Eberflus didn't want to give an answer, he also supported the second-year cornerback.

"Like I said, I'm not going to talk about Tyrique in terms of starting, not starting, all those things," Eberflus said. "I will say this; that Tyrique's made a lot of plays for this group, for our defense, and for our football team over the last couple of years and he's going to continue to do that. We're behind Tyrique and we're with him all the way and we'll work through this as we go."

But that doesn't mean punishment won't be coming. According to Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer, "it will not be a surprise if Tyrique Stevenson does not start Sunday in Arizona." He added that "signs seem to be pointing in that direction."

If that's the case, it would be second-year pro Terell Smith getting the starting nod opposite Jaylon Johnson, where he'd likely have the responsibility of covering Cardinals rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Smith returned to the lineup this past Sunday after missing roughly a month with a hip injury.

While Stevenson could have his start taken from him, it doesn't sound like he'll be suspended for a game. That would be detrimental for the team as he's their second best cornerback. So it sounds like Stevenson will still see the field against Arizona.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Signs pointing to Bears punishing Tyrique Stevenson after Hail Mary