The Chicago Bears defense had the most takeaways of any team in the NFL last season, with a league-high 23 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. However, Chicago’s defense struggled in almost every other statistical category, something that has greatly frustrated cornerback Jaylon Johnson as he believes the defense has a lot to prove this season.
“Outside of takeaways, we finished – if I’m not mistaken – bottom 10, bottom five in a lot of categories,” Johnson said last week. “So for me, we haven’t done a [darn] thing. There’s a lot for us to prove on defense. Of course, the offense is rolling. But that’s not something we can rely on: OK, the offense go put up 40, and we’ll hold them to 35. To me, that’s unacceptable. We’ve still got a lot to work on. We’ve still got a lot to do and to prove … If guys aren’t hungry, I don’t know what to say or what to do about that. We’ve got a lot of people that are motivated and we’ve got to go out there and play.”
Of the 33 takeaways Chicago’s defense had, 15 of those were produced by two players — safety Kevin Byard, who had a league-leading seven interceptions, and cornerback Nahshon Wright, who had five interceptions and recovered three fumbles. However, neither of them are on Chicago’s roster anymore. In fact, among the players currently on the Bears’ roster who were with Chicago last season, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had three takeaways last season.
Among the multiple moves the Bears made in the offseason to strengthen their defense was signing safety Coby Bryant from the Seattle Seahawks. Bryant had four interceptions last season and should contribute to Chicago’s takeaway numbers this season. He was also part of one of the best defenses in the NFL last season and will be a key part in proving this Chicago defense is one of the best in the league.
Bryant and Johnson have gotten off to an encouraging start in training camp, where they’ve each picked off quarterback Caleb Williams once and have been standouts in the secondary.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Jaylon Johnson says Bears defense has something to prove in 2026
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
