The warning signs have been there for weeks. As losses began to pile up, players in the Chicago Bears locker room were losing their patience with the coaching staff. Guys were speaking out about issues at practice, a lack of accountability, or attention to detail. It was hard not to feel like most of this frustration was directed at head coach Matt Eberflus. That is likely why he fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. It was a desperate measure to ease some of the heat. Well, it didn’t seem to work for long. Jaylon Johnson made sure of that.
The star Bears cornerback has been around since 2020. In that time, he has never experienced a winning season in Chicago. He is tired of it. He signed a lucrative contract extension, hoping this year would be the breakthrough. Instead, the team squandered a 4-2 start to reach 4-7 with their playoff hopes all but dead. Johnson vented this anger on 670 The Score, making sure to indicate he doesn’t believe talent is the problem with this team. It has more than enough to win.
He wasn’t exactly subtle with the implications.
“I would say in 2022, we had a terrible roster. I mean, we didn’t have a whole bunch of guys that made a name for themselves, that proved themselves. Honestly, that was probably the time where it’s like, ‘OK, we’re not really built to win right now.’ But I feel like the team that we have right now, we’re built to win right now. I don’t think it’s something where it’s, ‘OK, we got to come in and get the right guys in the building.’ For the most part, as far as the locker room goes, we have the right guys. We have enough to be able to win right now and to be a playoff team again. We just haven’t put it all together, top to bottom, as far as being able to execute, be put in the right positions, just really all of it.”
Teammate Jaquan Brisker echoed similar feelings on Twitter (X).
Jaylon Johnson is echoing the locker room.
Here’s the thing. Players aren’t stupid. They see all the same things the fans see at home. They saw Eberflus’ soft coverage call the play before the Hail Mary in Washington and then fail to call a timeout when Tyrique Stevenson wasn’t paying attention. They saw the blocked field goal against Green Bay and more soft coverage calls in overtime against Minnesota. The head coach is playing a central role in why the Bears keep losing close games. Being 5-18 in one-score games is not normal. It is the sign of somebody who wilts under pressure.
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Players lose respect for such men before too long. Jaylon Johnson appears to have reached that breaking point with Eberflus. He may not have mentioned the Bears head coach by name, but the comments were easy to decipher. If talent isn’t the problem with this team, there’s only one other place you can point the finger. Eberflus has the longest losing streak in franchise history and is three games away from tying for the second-longest losing streak. Enough is enough.
