Jaylon Johnson Clears the Air Around Pre-Draft Caleb Williams Comments

Chicago Bears star cornerback Jaylon Johnson took some heat for his comments on Caleb Williams earlier this offseason.

Johnson, who received a four-year, $76 million contract extension in March, said that players of Williams’ stature “can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building (h/t NFL.com).” That comment by Johnson took a life of its own and caught the attention of Bears fans.

Fast forward to the present day and Johnson is teammates with Williams, who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The young cornerback was asked about those comments in a radio interview earlier this week on 670 The Score.

""That conversation was taken completely the wrong way," he said about his interview on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams (h/t 670 The Score). "People, to me, just wanted click-bait and didn't even take into consideration the whole context of the damn conversation. Because when we were talking, she had brought up, 'Oh, how do you feel about Caleb Williams if he comes and you guys draft him? He's like Hollywood, how do you think the Hollywood will come into the locker room?' She kept using the word 'Hollywood.' I never said, 'He's Hollywood, he's this and that.' I don't know the dude."

- Jaylon Johnson via 670 The Score

Johnson was annoyed that people took what he said out of context as he emphasized that he never said the former Heisman winner was “Hollywood.” 

Later in the conversation, Johnson said that he’d spoken with Williams and there were some trash talks as they both played at Pac-12 schools.

“I cleared the air and was like, ‘Hey, that wasn’t what it was supposed to be, I don’t know you,’” the star corner said. “He hit me and was like, ‘Hey, I’m a winner, I just want to win.’ 

“We had that conversation. I’m like it’s all good. Then I talked a little trash about Utah and USC, and it was all good.”

It’s good to see Johnson and Williams speak, even though the comments he made were much to do about nothing. For the Bears to make some noise in the NFC North this season, they will need Williams to be a star and play well as a rookie, which will come with its ups and downs.

However, all of it will not fall on Williams as Johnson and the Bears’ defense will need to do their part as we saw vast improvements in the second half of the 2023 season.

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