KIRKLAND, Wash. – There are two teams trying to defend Jerramy Stevens this week.

One is the Bears, whom Stevens will be opposing in the NFC divisional playoff game Sunday at Chicago.

“He is most certainly a concern,” Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera said.

And then there are the Seahawks, who employ him.

Mike Holmgren’s face reddened and his words became terse when asked what about Stevens has led him to stick with the bearded, heavily tattooed and talkative tight end through infamy and inconsistency.

Through now-distant alcohol troubles and arrests and jail time; dropped passes; a silly Super Bowl dustup last February; two knee surgeries in four months this preseason; more dropped passes; and being so grating, even teammates admit the rest of the NFL doesn’t like him.

“I want to be clear about this: You could probably say at one point in his life, the distraction issue comes into play,” Holmgren said, sternly. “In the last three years, that’s not part of the deal. He’s our best tight end. He’s our best tight end.”

Seattle’s first-round pick in 2002, out of hometown Washington, caught two touchdowns in last week’s 21-20 win over Dallas. And he is the potential ‘X’ factor in Seattle’s quest to win its first road playoff game since 1983.

He’s 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, taller than the linebackers and safeties who usually try to outreach him for passes down the middle. And he’s as fast as a wide receiver.

“Speed, size and ability to get open – he’s one of the best there is,” Chicago linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said.

That’s why the Seahawks support Stevens.

“He’s really gifted,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said. “And he’s very smooth. For a man that size, he’s like a basketball player being able to move and do those things.”

He’s so elusive that he declined to be interviewed both Wednesday and, after just a few words, again Thursday.

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, who like Stevens was injured and missed the 37-6 loss at Chicago on Oct. 1, spoke for him.

“Jerramy Stevens, he changes the game,” Alexander said.

After three underwhelming seasons, Stevens emerged with career highs of 45 catches and five touchdowns in 2005. He was a large reason Seattle reached its first Super Bowl.

But there, Stevens got in a verbal spat with Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter. This happened after Stevens said that, while retiring Jerome Bettis’ Detroit homecoming was a nice story, the Seahawks were going to ensure the Steelers running back “a sad day when he leaves without that trophy.”

After impressively weathering what he called the “ridiculous” media circus his comments created, Stevens dropped three passes in a 21-10 loss to the Steelers.

Stevens missed the first five games of this season following surgeries on his left knee in April and August. Then, three games into his return, Oakland defensive end Tyler Brayton kneed Stevens in the groin late in a 16-0 Seahawks win.

The league fined Brayton $25,000 and Stevens $15,000 for the incident. Few believe Brayton went after Stevens because he didn’t like his tattoos.

“He reacted like any of you would have reacted if you were out there in a situation with this punk,” said Warren Sapp, Oakland’s outspoken defensive tackle.

Seahawks teammate Julian Peterson said he “couldn’t stand” Stevens when Peterson played in San Francisco prior to this season because Stevens “knows how to rub people the wrong way.”

Then came a spate of more dropped passes and loud boos from hometown fans – before they cheered last Saturday’s take-that performance against the Cowboys.

“They’ve been doing that since I’ve been in high school, man. Ain’t nothing new,” said Stevens, a former prep quarterback from nearby Olympia, Wash.

What’s his support system?

“Family, 100 (percent), man,” he said.

Holmgren’s been part of that. Coach and player share a unique relationship in which they trade playful teases and laughs through the ups and downs.

“It probably comes from my days of teaching in high school,” Holmgren said. “Kids …. You learn to try and understand them. Help them. Create a vision.”