Bears' Tyrique Stevenson Reflects on Backlash from 'Fail Mary' vs. Jayden, Commanders

Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson still feels pain over his massive faux pas from nearly a year ago when he allowed the Washington Commanders and quarterback Jayden Daniels to score a walk-off touchdown on a pass that is now known as the "Fail Mary."

Stevenson was caught on video lollygagging and jawing with fans during the game's final play. By the time he realized that Commanders receivers were sprinting to the end zone, he was late in finding someone to defend. When the ball was in the air, he ended up inadvertently tipping the pass into the hands of Washington wideout Noah Brown.

The backlash toward Stevenson was immediate, as fans didn't hold back their vitriol for the mistake. While speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of Chicago's Week 6 matchup against Washington on Monday Night Football, Stevenson admitted that the hate he's received over the past year "still hurts."

"It was harsh," Stevenson said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "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. Even when my son grows up, I've got to explain that to him. It definitely hurt. But just use it as fuel."

Stevenson apologized to his teammates and coaches during a meeting the following day. He revealed that not everyone was quick to forgive, but the team eventually embraced him and helped get his mind right.

"They gave me support," Stevenson said. "Being honest, I got a couple side-eyes. But that comes with, like I was saying on the [Bears safety Kevin Byard's] podcast, this is what we do for a living. This is who we are in some cases. And the best thing we can do is go out there and make great plays. I put a bad play on film. The best thing they could do was come around and put their arm around me and be like, 'We got you.' That's what they showed me all last year."

Stevenson added that he knows he'll be getting the brunt of attention from Commanders fans in Monday night's game, but he's ready to prove that last season's blunder is behind him.

"Going back to a hostile environment, they're going to do their best job to rattle me as much as they can," he said. "The best thing I can do is come out here and show these 10 guys I'm locked in and ready to go."