The Chicago Bears had high expectations for Jaylon Johnson in 2025. Unfortunately, he was never truly healthy, dealing with a groin injury that cost him training camp, preseason, and several games during the regular season. Upon his return, he was one of the weakest links in a secondary that created a lot of turnovers but wasn't as solid when they weren't picking off passes.
Johnson had the worst year of his career, to the point where he could've easily been a salary-cap casualty or a trade candidate. That said, he's already shown what he's capable of when he's healthy and the type of player he is.
That's why, now that Nahshon Wright is no longer in the picture, and with multiple departures in the secondary, the two-time Pro Bowler has a golden opportunity to step up and prove that he's still got plenty left in the tank.
Jaylon Johnson Needs to Bounce Back for the Bears
Johnson was fresh off consecutive Pro-Bowl selections last season. He only suited up for seven games, making six starts and registering 17 total tackles (15 solo), two tackles for loss, two passes defensed, and one interception.
His numbers in coverage were the absolute worst of his career. He gave up a 72.7 percent successful catch rate, and while he didn't allow a single touchdown, he allowed 17.2 yards per reception and an opposing passer rating of 86.1.
That's not what he's usually capable of. He picked off six passes in the previous two campaigns (2023-2024), giving up a combined total of four touchdowns with 18 pass defenses. If he stays healthy, his numbers for next season should look more like that.
We've already seen how DBs coach Al Harris can turn his players into true ball-hawks, and having a full offseason to work with Johnson should do wonders for him in that regard. The Bears let their two leaders in interceptions go in free agency, and Johnson could jump to the top of that leaderboard with a strong season in 2026.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's seat will probably be a bit warm to start the season. That unit held the team back multiple times in 2025, and they had to resort to late-game heroics and comebacks way too many times.
As such, getting the secondary in order should be one of the top priorities for this team in training camp. And with Johnson entering the third year of his four-year contract, he should be extremely motivated to secure another payday and prove that last season was just a fluke.
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