Jaylon Johnson still has believers around the NFL, but the Bears star knows it’s up to him to reclaim his spot among the league’s best
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was one of the top lockdown cornerbacks in the NFL not too long ago but an injury-riddled 2025 season changed how some people view him around the league.
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson had established himself as one of the league’s top lockdown perimeter cornerbacks following the 2023 season and followed it up with another Pro Bowl season in 2024.
After earning a massive contract that recognized him as one of the league’s best, the Bears finally had a true elite player under contract for years to come on the defensive side of the ball. However, not everything is guaranteed in the NFL.
Heading into the 2025 season, Johnson suffered a leg injury training away from the team facilities during the summer break, missing the entirety of training camp. Johnson reaggravated the injury after making his return in Week 2 and was placed back on the shelf for nine more games. It was a disappointing situation and even after returning, Johnson still didn’t look like the elite player fans remembered from the 2023-24 seasons.
It’s now up to Johnson to reestablish that status around the league, but he does have a few believers still on his side outside of the organization.
Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson named honorable mention on ESPN’s top CB rankings
Earlier Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released the second round of his annual Top-10 positional rankings voted on by league executives, coaches, and scouts. Tuesday’s rankings focused on the cornerback position and while Johnson wasn’t ranking inside the Top-10, he did earn an honorable mention which means some prominent voices around the league still voted him as being among the top players at his position.
“Time on task has been an issue. He missed a lot of camp and game action. But he’s young (27), so he should be able to get back to his top form. He’s got juice when he’s full tilt,” one NFL personnel evaluator said, via ESPN.
Truthfully, this is something I wasn’t expecting to see when this ranking was released. Johnson, at his best and full health, is a Top-10 cornerback in this league but I figured his injury-riddled year would have turned voters another direction. It did to some extent though, and Johnson knows better than anyone that he needs to earn a top rank.
Jaylon Johnson already has the right approach to reclaim his status as a top CB in the NFL
“I’m just looking forward to this season and really just reminding a lot of people who I am and I’m one of the best guys to play this game,” Johnson explained. “So I’m just looking forward to that opportunity.”
The Bears, defensively, are at their best when Johnson is healthy, on the field, and locking down opposing No. 1 pass catchers. Chicago desperately needs that kind of player again in 2026 if they want to go all the way and win a Super Bowl.
If Johnson needed any more external motivation to prove himself as a top cornerback, his contract after the 2026 season has a potential out if the Bears decided his play was no longer worth the high price they’re paying. With an elite-caliber year, Johnson can prove his worth to the team and maybe even land another lucrative extension.