Thomas Brown sets the record straight on why Jaylon Johnson was missing his captain patch during the Bears' Week 15 loss to the Vikings
The Chicago Bears dropped an eighth straight game on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings and frustrations continue to grow in the locker room and with the coaching staff.During the Bears' 30-12 loss to their division rival, one confusing situation transpired that many fans noticed early on in the game.While the ESPN broadcast showed a […]
The Chicago Bears dropped an eighth straight game on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings and frustrations continue to grow in the locker room and with the coaching staff.
During the Bears' 30-12 loss to their division rival, one confusing situation transpired that many fans noticed early on in the game.
While the ESPN broadcast showed a replay of Bears' star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, fans noticed that Johnson's "C" patch signifying he's a team captain was missing from his jersey. Johnson had previously been one of the team's eight captains all season.
After the loss, interim head coach Thomas Brown set the record straight on the situation while speaking with reporters.
“Of course he is [a captain]," Brown said after the game. "I didn't even see [the missing patch], so I can't even speak on that."
Johnson has been a very vocal and outspoken leader for the Bears this season and some perhaps thought that finally might have rubbed people the wrong way had anything to do with the missing patch. Brown quickly shut down those theories.
“He’s definitely a captain,” Brown added. “He’s in every captain’s meeting. That’s a guy that speaks for our group a lot. Actually, he did a really good job (on) Saturday’s practice after we kind of broke it down with him in the middle, and he did a great job delivering a timely message. So, he’s definitely a captain on and off the field for us.”
According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Johnson himself was unaware the "C" was missing from his chest during the game and would have to speak with equipment manager Tony Medlin for an explanation.
Nevertheless, it's nice to get some clarity on the situation. Johnson is a major leader on this team and if something shockingly changed, that would be a major story given the current morale in the locker room.
Overall, Johnson still played like his top self on Monday night despite the loss, especially when matched up in coverage against Vikings' star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. He also made some nice plays in the run making tackles in open field.
At the end of the day, it was simply a minor equipment mistake that caused unnecessary confusing for a team already getting close to boiling over.
