There were plenty of reasons why the Chicago Bears defense underperformed last season. They were installing a brand new system under Dennis Allen, which almost always leads to issues. Pass rush was a persistent problem yet again. Montez Sweat was the only player with more than six sacks for the season. Run defense wasn’t much better. A big part of this was injuries. Several starters missed multiple games, and nowhere was it worse than the secondary. Kyler Gordon missed 14 games with various issues. However, the biggest blow suffered was to Jaylon Johnson.
Chicago’s star cornerback suffered a groin injury while training last summer, which forced him to miss training camp. When he did return early in the season, he tore his adductor muscle off the pelvic bone. That knocked him out for months. He finally returned in week 13, but it was clear he wasn’t himself. Johnson allowed career highs in completion percentage (72.7%) and yards per completion (16.0), and seemed to have lost some of his speed. It left some wondering what player the Bears would get going into this season.
Johnson didn’t waste time providing answers during minicamps.
A healthy Jaylon Johnson changes things for the Bears.
There is no question their pass defense is miles better when he is on the field and playing his best. Between 2023 and 2024, during his two Pro Bowl seasons, the Bears’ defense allowed 20 points or fewer 19 times. Last season, with him never fully 100%, they did it nine times. Only four happened during the 10 games he missed. Johnson’s impact can’t be overstated. If the Bears get the star version back this season, this defense could turn out to be significantly better than many predicted.
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Nobody will be happier about that than Dennis Allen. If you look back at his best defenses in New Orleans, all of them were built around a top cover corner. Marshon Lattimore was the gold standard down there. Jaylon Johnson has that same capability. The interesting question is whether Allen might use him as a chess piece, following the opponent’s best receiver around the field. Considering the uncertainty around Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson, that might be the best course of action.
A Johnson bounce-back is most desirable.
After all, it already looks like significant changes could be on the horizon at cornerback for the Bears. Stevenson and Terell Smith are both free agents next spring. Gordon could be shipped out if he goes through another season battling preventable injuries. If Johnson were to continue his regression from last season, that might force the Bears to overhaul the entire position. His return to Pro Bowl form would at least provide them some stability as they potentially rework things a year from now.
Releasing Johnson next offseason would net the Bears $16 million in cap space. So it’s not like they have no incentive to do so. If you include other likely casualties like Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett, you’re looking at $44.5 million in cap space. It seems Johnson is aware of this danger and fully intent on reminding everybody why he’s been the team’s best defensive player for the past four years.
