NEWSLETTER
With Justin Fields gone to Pittsburgh, the Chicago Bears are ushering a new quarterback era.
Presumably, it’ll be USC prospect Caleb Williams going first overall to the Bears in next month’s NFL Draft. If that is how the cookie crumbles, then it is worth knowing Williams will be entering a good situation. That isn’t inconsequential. A chunk of that has to do with the mere presence of wide receiver D.J. Moore and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. So, perhaps fittingly enough, both players had some words of wisdom for the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
First, I want to discuss Jaylon Johnson’s comments in a recent interview with Kay Adams. Mostly because they came off differently to me than they did to others:
There is a lot of interesting commentary here from Jaylon Johnson. So much that I want to dissect some different sections.
Jaylon Johnson on a rookie needing to humble himself
I’m going to type out the full quotes in their entirety because I feel as if there is some stuff that is lost in the sauce. We’ll start with this:
“You just humble yourself coming into the building. You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially with guys who have played the game at a high level for consecutive years in the league. Guys like myself, Tremaine (Edmunds), T.J. (Edwards), now Keenan Allen. We’re going to see through that. What you did in college, the Hollywood, nah, you’ve gotta prove yourself. Stuff like that doesn’t matter.”
Johnson’s thoughts take me to a few different places. Firstly, I don’t necessarily read this as a negative comment. Instead, I see this as words from a veteran giving the rookie a heads up going into a locker room with veterans. To me, Jaylon comes off as hoping that Caleb Williams (presumably) comes into Halas Hall with his priorities in line. What veteran doesn’t want that? Bears fans who are old enough to remember Cade McNown are also old enough to remember what it is like when a hot-shot rookie quarterback comes into town and their priorities aren’t in line with the team around him. I’m one of those Bears fans and would like to avoid that fate (again).
MORE: Caleb Williams Was As Advertised at USC’s Pro Day
Also, Johnson nails it in saying that Williams has to prove himself. Jaylon is right to point out that the college accolades don’t matter once you get to the pro level. Making it to the NFL means you’re getting a clean slate and have to prove yourself on a different level. The league’s best players relish such a challenge. Caleb Williams comes off as someone who is one of those players who would embrace the opportunity to ball out and prove himself in a new setting.
Jaylon Johnson wants to push a rookie’s buttons
Johnson’s commentary on this front made my ears perk up:
“You gotta get to know him, too. I think it’s a fine line between trying to prove a point to him, but also getting to know him. Because, at the end of the day, we want him to be the absolute best he can be. That’s what we’re bringing him in for, to win games. I think truly just learning who he is as a person, learning him deeper than all the Hollywood stuff you see, but actually trying to learn and get to know him.
And then knowing from there what pushes him. If it is trash talk, if trash talk makes him crumble, then I mean, I feel like we gotta push that button because people in the game, they’re gonna push that button. Depending on whatever it is that he needs to be pushed at, I feel like that’s our job and that’s our duty as his teammates to make him better to strengthen his weaknesses.”
Even though I don’t love the negative connotation that comes with the Hollywood mentions from Johnson, I do love the idea of pushing a quarterback’s buttons with the intent to get him to be his best. Let’s face it. Jaylon Johnson wants to win. The Bears haven’t had a winning season since Johnson arrived as a rookie in 2020. They made the playoffs in his first season as a pro, but he didn’t play in the game because he was nursing an injury. At the end of the day, this type of razzing from Johnson comes off as nothing more than a veteran making a point to a rookie that the vets want to win ballgames. As a fan, I want my veteran leaders to bring that energy.
With that being said, seeing how many people took Jaylon Johnson’s words as a diss on Williams reminds me of how dangerous it can be when un-checked narratives get spread. We’ve been discussing the possibility of the Bears drafting a quarterback since October. And with good reason. Unfortunately, a loud portion of the conversation surrounding top-rated quarterback Caleb Williams has been slanted toward the negative. Oftentimes, by people who will share quote snippets sans context or unsubstantiated rumors and blow them up for the sake of engagement and running up numbers. The juice is worth the squeeze for those folks, but it leaves even-keeled fans fighting a battle to share worthwhile stuff in a fair and balanced way.
In the end…
This feels like a good time to remind folks of Jaylon Johnson’s credentials. Johnson was the seventh cornerback taken in his draft class and used that as motivation to jump-start his career. He has been a starter since Week 1 of his rookie season, a captain, and the team’s 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year award recipient. Bears GM Ryan Poles gave Johnson a whopper of an extension earlier in March and praised his presence at every turn ahead of making the deal officially official.
For me, Jaylon Johnson’s words come off like they’re from someone who wants to lead a rookie quarterback. And I find that admirable. Plus, for what it’s worth, it sounds like Caleb Williams (or whomever is quarterbacking the Bears this year) will get that message from an offensive leader, too:
One thing that stuck out to me at training camp last year was watching D.J. Moore. Yes, watching him run routes and catch passes was awesome. But observing his leadership-by-example style was also noteworthy. Moore carries himself like the type of player you’d want a young player to follow. And, sure, there will be a segment of the locker room that needs the rookie to earn their trust now that Justin Fields is gone. But with leaders like D.J. Moore and Jaylon Johnson in place, I feel as if others will eventually fall in line.
