Cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been on the Chicago Bears longer than anyone on the defense. He was with Chicago for the entirety of quarterback Justin Fields’ career and even the last season of Mitch Trubisky’s time with the Bears when he was eventually benched for Nick Foles.
So, when Johnson says quarterback Caleb Williams is the best quarterback the Bears have had in his entire time in Chicago, it carries a lot of weight.
“This is the best offense I’ve had in seven years,” Johnson said. “Caleb’s the best quarterback I’ve had, maybe since Nick Foles if you want to go back that far.”
Statistically, the Bears had one of the best offenses in the league last season. Chicago was top-10 in passing attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The fact that the Bears offense was able to achieve that is remarkable when you consider that in 2024, Chicago’s offense was not in the top-10 in any of these metrics. In fact, they were one of the worst offenses in the NFL in 2024.
Head coach Ben Johnson’s ability to turn the offense around so quickly is part of why elite players want to play for the Bears. However, Chicago cannot hold onto everyone as proven by their salary cap casualties last season, including trading wide receiver DJ Moore and releasing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Johnson may believe he could become a salary cap casualty this offseason. He’s in the second-to-last year of his four-year, $76 million contract. If the Bears elect to release him after this season, they would save $16 million against the 2027 salary cap. Johnson will have the contract situation on the back of his mind going into this season as extra motivation to show the entire league why he is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
“This is a contract year for me,” Johnson said. “Whether it is here or someplace else, I’ve got to go put it on tape.”
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Jaylon Johnson says this is the best Bears offense he’s ever had
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
