Tom Waddle says Tyrique Stevenson is too good to keep making mistakes

Much has been made about the late-game actions of Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, seen on camera talking to the Washington crowd on the final play of the Week 8 loss to the Commanders. Stevenson, who was out of focus and out of position, got over to the Hail Mary play late and ended up tipping the ball to Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown for the game-winner for Washington.

While head coach Matt Eberflus along with several veterans on the team spoke about Stevenson's actions and the accountability he took addressing the team the day after, there was no straight answer about potential discipline. Former Bear and current analyst Tom Waddle believes Stevenson is too good of a player to continue to be held back by mental lapses, and wants to see improvement from the young corner.

"I really like Tyrique Stevenson as a player, I think he's very talented," Waddle said, via Marquee Bears. "I give him credit for accepting responsibility for being undisciplined but this has got to stop. He's too good of a football player to continue to make these types of mistakes. I think he's a fantastic young player, but he's got to get his T's crossed and I's dotted and he's got to find a way to get locked in from the opening snap."

Recognizing the player on the opposite end of Stevenson, in All-Pro Jaylon Johnson, Waddle says teams will recognize the talent level in the secondary and look to take advantage of Stevenson.

"They [opposing teams] are going to hunt him not because they think he's a bad player, because the dude on the other side is elite," Waddle said. "Jaylon Johnson, teams are not going to throw at him so they're going to throw at Tyrique, and Tyrique for that reason is one of the most important players on that defense because he's going to see a ton of action. He's got so much talent but he's got to be locked in from the opening snap to the end of the game."

There is no denying the importance of Stevenson on the Bears defense, especially with the amount of opportunities opponents give him each week. With an opportunity to learn from one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Johnson, the potential could be limitless for Stevenson, who will look to bounce back in a big way when called upon in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Tom Waddle: Bears' Tyrique Stevenson too good to keep making mistakes