Tyrique Stevenson Bio
Tyrique Marquis Stevenson is an American professional football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and listed at 212 pounds, Stevenson has developed into a regular starter on the Bears defense while wearing jersey number 29.
Born on May 26, 2000, Stevenson grew up in the Miami area of Florida before launching a college path that took him from one Power Five program to another. His selection in the 2023 NFL draft came after the Bears traded up to secure him, signaling the team’s long-term investment in his development as an outside cornerback.
Early Life and Background
Tyrique Marquis Stevenson was born on May 26, 2000, in Miami, Florida. He grew up in the South Florida region, a well-known cradle of football talent, and attended local high schools before completing his senior year. That grounding in Miami-area football shaped his early approach to the sport and laid the foundation for his move into major college football.
He attended South Dade Senior High School and later transferred to Miami Southridge Senior High School in South Miami Heights, Florida, where he finished his high school career. Playing for a Southridge program that consistently produced Division I recruits helped Stevenson attract attention from college scouts, and he ultimately chose to begin his college career at the University of Georgia as an early enrollee.
Path to American Football
Stevenson joined the Georgia Bulldogs as an early enrollee and quickly found a role on a defense stacked with future NFL players. As a freshman, he played in all 14 of Georgia’s games and posted 13 tackles, one sack, and five passes defended. The following year, in Georgia’s COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, he started four of the team’s 10 games and recorded 34 tackles with five passes broken up.
After two seasons in Athens, Stevenson entered the transfer portal and joined the Miami Hurricanes. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he made 43 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, four passes broken up, and one interception, earning Third-team All-ACC recognition in 2022. His blend of size, length, and coverage instincts at the college level convinced NFL scouts that he was ready for the next step, and he declared for the 2023 NFL draft after his junior year.
Tyrique Stevenson Career
Early Career (2019–2022)
Stevenson’s first notable stretch came at the University of Georgia, where he worked his way into the Bulldogs’ defensive backfield as a freshman and grew into a more prominent role the following year. His two seasons in Athens produced steady production in tackles and pass breakups and gave him the experience of playing in a championship-level program.
His transfer to the Miami Hurricanes became the launching pad for his draft stock. With the Hurricanes, he locked down a starting role, generated his first collegiate interception, and earned Third-team All-ACC honors in 2022. By the end of his junior year, he was widely viewed as one of the top cornerback prospects in his class, with analysts ranking him in the top 10 at the position.
NFL Breakthrough (2023)
The Chicago Bears selected Stevenson in the second round with the 56th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft. The Bears traded their own 2023 second-round (61st overall) and fifth-round (136th overall) selections to the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up and secure Stevenson. He was the eighth cornerback taken in 2023 and the first of two cornerbacks drafted by Chicago, joining fifth-round pick Terell Smith. On June 15, 2023, the Bears signed him to a four-year, $6.44 million rookie contract that included $3.48 million in guarantees and a $1.69 million signing bonus.
Stevenson earned a starting role out of training camp under head coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams, lining up opposite Jaylon Johnson. He made his regular-season debut on September 10, 2023, against the Green Bay Packers, recording six combined tackles. He later notched his first career interception on November 19, 2023, picking off Jared Goff at the Detroit Lions, and closed his rookie year with a two-interception performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17 that earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished 2023 with 86 combined tackles, 16 pass deflections, and four interceptions across 16 starts.
Chicago Bears Era (2023–Present)
Stevenson remained a starter entering 2024 under new defensive coordinator Eric Washington, who retained him alongside Johnson. He delivered one of the most memorable moments of the Bears’ season on September 8, 2024, against the Tennessee Titans, when he returned a Will Levis interception 43 yards for a game-winning pick-six in a 24–17 comeback victory, earning another NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor. He was later fined $8,143 for taunting after an incident with Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins in Week 2 and missed time with a calf injury in October.
The 2024 season also produced one of the defining images of Stevenson’s early career. In a Week 8 loss at the Washington Commanders, Stevenson was seen taunting the crowd with his back turned on the final play and tipped a Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels into the hands of Noah Brown in the end zone, allowing Washington to win 18–15. He was removed from the starting lineup the following week and later received a $19,697 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after a Thanksgiving Day trip of Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. Stevenson finished 2024 with 78 combined tackles, 12 pass deflections, two interceptions, and one touchdown in 16 starts, while the Bears parted ways with head coach Matt Eberflus in December 2024.
2025 Season and Beyond
For 2025, new Bears head coach Ben Johnson hired Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator and Al Harris as defensive backs coach, both of whom Stevenson praised during the preseason. Stevenson won an open competition with Nahshon Wright and Terell Smith to retain the No. 2 cornerback job. He opened the year allowing a high completion rate in coverage, but recovered with a strip of Javonte Williams in a Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys and later recorded an interception off Geno Smith against the Las Vegas Raiders. After missing two games with a hip injury late in the year, Stevenson saw his role reduced as Wright emerged, and he was a healthy scratch for the regular-season finale. He started the Bears’ wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers and posted the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among Chicago defenders, and he added three assisted tackles in the following week’s divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He closed 2025 with 49 combined tackles, ten pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
Notable Events and Milestones
Stevenson’s rookie year was highlighted by back-to-back interceptions against Atlanta and a Week 17 NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. In 2024, his pick-six against the Titans turned a 17-point deficit into a season-opening win, and his misplayed Hail Mary in Washington became a defining moment of his career. In 2025, Stevenson added his first career playoff starts, with a standout performance against the Packers that ranked among the top grades on the Bears defense.
Tyrique Stevenson Career Highlights
Across his first three NFL seasons, Tyrique Stevenson has appeared in regular-season games as a starting cornerback for the Chicago Bears, with standout showings in 2023 and 2024. His career totals through the 2025 season include more than 200 combined tackles, multiple interceptions each year, and one defensive touchdown.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Stevenson’s first NFL win as a primary contributor came in his rookie debut, and he quickly became a regular in the Bears’ secondary. He has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice, in Week 17 of 2023 and Week 1 of 2024, and has opened the year with multiple interceptions in each of his first two NFL seasons. His first career interception came on the road at Detroit in November 2023, and his most recent playoff appearance came in the 2025 postseason against the Packers and Rams.
Tyrique Stevenson Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Stevenson grew up in the Miami, Florida area, where football is a central part of the local culture. He attended South Dade Senior High School before transferring to Miami Southridge Senior High School, where he developed into a Division I recruit.
Personal Life
Tyrique Marquis Stevenson, who goes by his given name, was born in Miami, Florida, and continues to make his home in the United States. He maintains a public presence on Instagram under the handle @riquee_7. Further details about his family and personal life are not publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a transitional year for Tyrique Stevenson under new head coach Ben Johnson and a new defensive staff. He won the No. 2 cornerback job out of training camp and made an immediate impact in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, forcing a fumble by Javonte Williams in a 31–14 win. He added an interception off Geno Smith against the Las Vegas Raiders the following week, giving him a takeaway in two consecutive games.
Stevenson struggled to maintain that pace in coverage, allowing a high completion rate through the early weeks, and a midseason hip injury cost him two games. Upon his return, he was gradually overtaken on the depth chart by Nahshon Wright and was held out of the regular-season finale. Despite the late-season dip, he remained a contributor in the Bears’ secondary and started the wild-card playoff loss to the Packers, where his 77.2 Pro Football Focus grade ranked second among Chicago defenders.
Looking ahead, Stevenson remains under contract with the Bears through 2026 and will look to recapture the form he showed as a 2023 standout. With Dennis Allen calling the defense and Al Harris coaching the secondary, Stevenson is expected to compete for a starting role in 2026, while continuing to build on a career that already includes two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards and a memorable pick-six against the Tennessee Titans.
