Tyrique Stevenson Revealed How Cutthroat Matt Eberflus Can Be

Matt Eberflus has said that for the Chicago Bears to regain their place among the NFL's best, everybody in the organization must be held to a high standard. There can be zero exceptions. If somebody isn't doing their job according to that standard, they better not expect to be around long. Even two of his assistant coaches found that out when they were dismissed for poor conduct. Another person who found this lesson out the hard way was cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

The former 2nd round pick had an outstanding rookie season with four interceptions. However, he came dangerously close to not seeing the field at all. Stevenson appeared on the Flo Factory podcast to talk about his college career at Miami and his rookie season with the Bears. It was there he made a surprising admission. His practice reps were suddenly cut at one point leading up to the season. He found out it was because he wasn't running to the ball on every play, taking too many reps at half speed.

It was a cold reminder that Eberflus and the coaches were always watching, and nothing less than maximum effort would be tolerated.

Tyrique Stevenson got the message.

He may not have liked how things were handled, but he can't argue with the result. Eberflus reminded him that draft status won't protect you for long on this team. If you're not playing with the necessary effort and intensity in line with the H.I.T.S principle, the Bears will find somebody who can. Stevenson quickly adjusted his practice style and regained the starting job in short order. That carried into the season, where he overcame a sluggish start and had a great year.

This is a good reminder that Eberflus knows what he's doing. He has a clear vision for how to handle this team. When everybody gets held to a high standard, it forces everybody to step up or get left behind. By voluntarily demoting a high draft choice, one you actually traded up to get, it likely sent a small shockwave through the locker room. Let up at your own risk. Tyrique Stevenson didn't need more than one reminder of this, which speaks to his willingness to embrace the team's culture.