The Chicago Bears had high hopes for cornerback Jaylon Johnson in 2025. He was coming off consecutive Pro Bowl selections, had played all 17 games in 2024, and had collected six interceptions and 18 passes defensed over two years. Then, disaster struck.
Johnson missed all of training camp with an adductor injury. Then, he injured his groin in his return in Week 2, underwent surgery, and spent the following two months on injured reserve. He managed to suit up for seven games (six starts) but was far from the disruptive corner he used to be.
That's why, with the 2026 NFL draft just weeks away and questions about his durability and ability to bounce back next season, the Bears will be wise to add more competition to the cornerback room with a rookie — especially with offseason programs starting up this month.
Bears Must Light a Fire Under Jaylon Johnson
Johnson had the worst season of his career in 2025, and it wasn't particularly close.
He gave up 16 catches on 22 targets for a 72.7% successful catch rate and 256 yards. While he didn't allow a touchdown, he gave up 16.0 yards per completion, 11.6 yards per target, and 122 yards after the catch. Opposing quarterbacks posted a passer rating of 92.2 when targeting him, well below his career-best mark of 50.9 in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, the advanced metrics weren't much kinder to him. Pro Football Focus gave him a 58.7 overall grade, the second-worst of his career and the worst since his rookie season. His coverage grade (60.3) was also the worst in his six-year career.
Granted, it's hard to judge players when they're not at full strength, and Johnson was clearly pretty banged up for most of the year. That said, this is a business first and foremost, and the players, like every employee, have to yield results or face being let go.
In the best-case scenario, the Bears will get a rookie cornerback, Johnson will return to his former level, and the rookie will replace Tyrique Stevenson. But if Johnson doesn't continue to be a shell of his former self, they can't afford to have both him and Stevenson be liabilities in the secondary.
Barring a trade, the Bears will be on the clock at No. 25 and No. 57 in the first and second rounds, respectively. That won't be high enough to get LSU's Mansoor Delane or Oregon State's Jermod McCoy, but it should put them in range to get Clemson's Avieon Terrell, Tennessee's Colton Hood, NC State's Brandon Cisse, or Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds.
IIt's still too early to declare Johnson dead for rights, but it's clear that he won't last long in the Windy City if the status quo remains. That's why it'll be in the Bears' best interest to find the veteran CB some competition in Pittsburgh later this month, as the fate of their secondary next season could depend on it.