With one game left for the Bears, cornerback Jaylon Johnson is far from checking out. He’s fired up about facing the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday and described his mindset as, “[Expletive] them,” heading into the finale.
“I’m going to try to go out with a bang,” Johnson said Wednesday. “It’s the last opponent on the schedule, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a long time coming before we get another opportunity to play, so we’ve got to make the most of it.”
He said the rest of the locker room is “all on the same page” as the Bears look to break their losing streaks — 10 in a row this season and 11 consecutive losses to the Packers dating back to 2019.
That’s the short term. The Bears have much bigger work ahead as they try to regroup in the coming offseason.
That starts with hiring a coach to replace Matt Eberflus, whom they fired in November. Eberflus exited with a 14-32 record, including 0-5 against Matt LaFleur’s Packers.
Johnson has advocated for the Bears to hire an offensive-minded coach to help quarterback Caleb Williams, but also is looking for stricter oversight and more discipline from the new boss.
“There has to be a certain level of consequence,” Johnson said. “You can’t let certain patterns go. Top to bottom, that’s something we’ve all got to be cognizant of and really get on each other about it.”
He’d like to see the new staff use playing time to incentivize players to sharpen their attention to detail.
“That’s the ultimate thing,” he said. “Playing time is the best way to get somebody’s attention. I know if I miss an assignment and somebody else plays, that’s an automatic fix for myself. That’s the biggest thing that can be done.”
Johnson, now in his fifth season, is the Bears’ best chance of having a player picked for the Pro Bowl when the NFL announces selections Thursday. He made it last season and though he has only two interceptions, he’s been their most consistent defensive player.
“I’m always hopeful, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t work out,” he said. “It’s hard to make plays on the ball when you barely get targeted. That’s what gets you the Pro Bowl votes: making plays, having those interceptions and numbers and things like that. But I feel like overall I played solid. Definitely could’ve done some things better, but I did a lot of good, too.”