The Chicago Bears are mostly known for their offense these days, which is not exactly a common theme in the Windy City.
However, you can understand why heading into 2024.
The Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL Draft and added a plethora of weapons this offseason, trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen, signing running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett in free agency as well as drafting wide out Rome Odunze.
That’s in addition to already having receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet in tow.
So, yeah. Chicago’s offense should be exciting to watch next season.
However, last season, it was the Bears’ solid defense that actually piloted the team to a respectable 7-6 run to end the year.
The best player on that unit was probably cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who re-signed with Chicago on a lucrative multi-year contract earlier this offseason.
Johnson made his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 2023 after racking up 36 tackles, four interceptions, a forced fumble, 10 passes defended and a defensive touchdown, establishing himself as one of the better corners in the league.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay is expecting even bigger things from Johnson going into next season and thinks that the University of Utah product could end up becoming a First-Team All-Pro.
It should be noted that Johnson was named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2023.
Pro Football Focus named the 25-year-old to its own First-Team All-Pro roster, noting his 90.8 grade and how he allowed only 195 yards on plays in which he was the primary coverage defender. That was the best mark in the NFL last season.
Johnson was originally selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Even before breaking out in 2023, Johnson was a solid defensive back, but his biggest issue was always staying on the field.
He still had problems with that this past year, missing three games.
If Johnson really wants to take his performance to the next level, he’ll have to stay healthy.
The Bears went 7-10 in 2023 and have made just two playoff appearances since 2011. However, they are considered dark horse contenders in the NFC as the 2024 season approaches.
