NEWSLETTER
Jaylon Johnson’s new number will have a familiar look.
It seems as if CB1 will be wearing No. 1 in 2024:
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson posting a tweet with an image from his college days rocking the No. 1 hours after an unofficial NFL jersey number tracker shared news that he’ll be wearing the number is fun. It certainly has my attention. Because while this isn’t a slow news time of the year, some of the NFL Draft coverage can feel repetitive. Players switching numbers throws a welcome wrinkle into things. This is fun.
Jaylon Johnson will look different in 2024
In addition to getting a hefty raise and a contract extension this offseason, changing up numbers will literally give Johnson a new look this upcoming season.
Jaylon Johnson has worn No. 33 since arriving to Chicago in 2020. For what it is worth, Johnson has had plenty of success rocking that number. While wearing 33, Johnson has been a four-year starter and a solid pro. But his 2023 campaign was the best he has put out there — and he did it while 33 was his jersey number. The 24-year-old cornerback earned a Pro Bowl spot and second-team All-Pro honors after coming away with a career-high four interceptions. Even the analytics-leaning Pro Football Focus folks had Johnson as the NFL’s highest-graded cornerback last season. Maybe this is a good time to retire No. 33 while it’s at its peak?
I’ll be curious to see if anyone picks up No. 33. Numbers are open to all sorts of NFL players after recent rule changes. If it was up to me (it isn’t, but hear me out…), the only players who would wear 33 moving forward are lockdown cornerbacks. Because there is no way I’m looking at that number and not thinking about Jaylon or long-time Bears cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman. There is something that just looks right about a CB1 type wearing 33. But perhaps that is just me.
As for the No. 1, we all know Justin Fields was the last one to wear it. And Justin wore it well. At a minimum, it made us forget about Cody Parkey wearing it and briefly ruining the number. It’s better that way, too. After all, wouldn’t you rather think of a Fields highlight-reel run when you think of a Bears player wearing No. 1 instead of the double-doink? Moving forward, I hope Jaylon Johnson can create some new and wonderful lasting memories.
If you’re curious what it might look like with Johnson wearing the “1” on his Bears uniform, this helps with the visual:
