Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has quickly become one of the team's more vocal leaders this offseason. Perhaps that's what comes along with signing a massive four-year, $76 million contract extension. He was a staunch supporter of Justin Fields, and now that Fields is a Pittsburgh Steeler, Johnson is sending a not-so-passive message to Caleb Williams, who many expect will be the Bears' selection with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"What you did in college, the Hollywood, it's like 'Nah, you gotta prove yourself,'" Johnson told Kay Adams on the Up and Adams Show. "That stuff like that doesn't matter. You gotta get to know him, too. I think there's a fine line between trying to prove a point to him, but you also gotta get to know him. Because at the end of the day, we want him to be the absolute best he can be. That's what we're bringing him in for to win games."
Johnson's public approach to the Bears' QB situation is odd. It almost feels adversarial, a bit combative. And while Johnson wasn't alone in his support of Fields, taking an overly aggressive stance on Caleb Williams is a bit odd.
"I think truly just learning who he is as a person and learning him deeper than all the Hollywood stuff you see but actually trying to learn and get to know him and then knowing from there what pushes him," Johnson said. "If it is trash talk, if trash talk makes him crumble, then I mean, I feel like we gotta push that button because people in the game, they're gonna push that button. Depending on whatever it is that he needs to be pushed at, that's our job and that's our duty as his teammates to make him better to strengthen his weaknesses."
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It's unclear what Johnson is referring to with the 'Hollywood' comments. Perhaps he views Williams as a player who wants to be in the spotlight. However, if the 2024 NFL Draft process has proven anything, it's that Williams is the opposite of Hollywood; he appears to be a down-to-earth dude who gets it.
Still, whenever a player is as high-profile as Williams is, there's always a target on his back—even from his future teammates. NFL locker rooms are the ultimate prove-it ground. Respect is earned through performance, not draft status or college resumes. Johnson might simply be saying what most players think.
Or maybe he's still not over the Justin Fields trade.
"It's tough because he came in with me when I was young, my second year, and he was a rookie," Johnson said. "So seeing him grow as a person and a player, I think for me it was something that I really enjoyed. Now, seeing him go to the Steelers is just another thing I can support and continue to support him from the outside looking in. I wish him nothing but the best until, of course, he plays us."
