Latest news with #JaylonJohnson
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Bears' Coaching Changes Seem Timely For Tyrique Stevenson
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 27: Noah Brown #85 of the Washington Commanders looks on as a hail mary ... More pass attempt against the Chicago Bears is tipped during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by) Tyrique Stevenson is getting a fresh start from the Bears' new coaching staff. But neither Ben Johnson nor anyone else is promising the third-year cornerback that he'll be the starter opposite Jaylon Johnson when the season rolls around. Training camp and the three-game exhibition schedule will be huge for Stevenson as he attempts to put his Hail Mary embarrassment behind him. Terell Smith and rookie Zah Frazier are set to step in if Stevenson can't regain the strut — and ability to defend in man-to-man coverages — he had after returning an interception for a touchdown in the 2024 opener. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was the biggest addition in a flurry of hires by Johnson and General Manager Ryan Poles. The former Saints and Raiders head coach is regarded as something of a savant, known for both his intelligence and his ability to teach. He will be keeping a close eye on the secondary, with the immediate concerns being safety Jaquan Brisker's return from concussions and Stevenson's play at cornerback. It would be one thing if Stevenson's lapse on the game-ending play in Washington was an isolated mistake. But the former Miami and Georgia standout has been more inconsistent than the Bears hoped after Poles traded up to get him in the 2023 draft. Stevenson started 16 games as a rookie and overall has started 30 of 32 games in the NFL. While his first season was similar to Johnson's 2020 season — after the Bears selected him in the second round from Utah — he did not take a step forward in his second season. Pro Football Focus ranked Stevenson 80th among qualifying cornerbacks in '23 and 83rd last season. He likely suffered from a sense of uncertainty playing under two head coaches and defensive coordinators in those seasons, and is looking to quickly become grounded in Allen's defense, which generally emphasizes press coverage on outside targets. 'It's mano a mano,' Stevenson told reporters during a June mini-camp. 'I'm going to show you I've been working and I'm better than you. I feel like that can take a lot of guessing out of the game for the corners.' More than anything else, Stevenson must like that all the reminders of the Hail Mary play — a tipping point for the 5-12 season — come from fans and media. 'Clean slate from here on out,' new defensive backs coach Al Harris said. Matt Eberflus benched Stevenson for the start of the next game following the 18-15 loss. Stevenson's taunting fans when he should have been lining up for the certain Hail Mary stayed in the spotlight when Eberflus was fired midway through a 10-game losing streak that turned a 4-2 start into empty calories. But Ben Johnson has never mentioned it in meetings with Chicago players. 'I think he learned his lesson from that, and his peers have certainly talked to him about it,' Johnson said. 'There really wasn't any reason for me or the staff to piggyback on that because he's learned from it, he's grown from it, and what's in the past is in the past, and we're moving forward.' Albeit with no guarantees. Smith, a fifth-round pick in the same draft when Stevenson was selected in the second round, has arguably outplayed him but in a limited capacity. He has played only 584 defensive snaps in his backup role while Stevenson has played 1640. That's a huge difference. But Smith has made the most of playing time. He was graded out 40th among 127 qualifiers by PFF in his rookie season and, while he didn't get enough snaps to qualify because of a hip injury, ranked 14th among 223 cornerbacks last season. That's Marlon Humphrey and Quinyon Mitchell territory, the caveat being the small sample size. Frazier, a fifth-round pick from Texas-San Antonio, is a bigger corner at 6-3. He'll turn 25 in October and led the AAC with six interceptions last season. PFF gave him an 85.9 grade, which suggests he is capable of opening eyes in camp. "The biggest thing is you've got a big, long press corner that can run," Allen said after a rookie camp. 'He has got a lot of things that he's got to learn but he's got the tools for us to work with.'' Poles has added veterans Nick McCloud and Nahshon Wright as depth options alongside special-teamers Josh Blackwell and Ameer Speed. For Allen's defense, cornerback will be the position to watch this summer at Halas Hall. The joint practices against the Dolphins (Aug. 8) and Bills (Aug. 15) provide the first true tests. There are major financial consequences for Stevenson. He could set himself up as a long-term piece of the defense with a strong bounce-back under the new coaches. His head should be in the game on every snap this time around.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson indicates he's seeking another contract extension
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has established himself as one of the best in the NFL, which earned him a contract extension last offseason. But with cornerbacks resetting the market, including most recently with Sauce Gardner's deal, Johnson is eager to open up negotiations about another extension. Johnson inked a four-year, $110 million contract extension back in March 2024, which continues to be one of the most affordable in the league given the talent and contributions from Johnson at a premier position. During a recent appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," Johnson indicated he wants to discuss another extension as cornerbacks continue to rack up big pay days. "Just seeing a lot of the other corners getting paid — I almost feel like we might have another discussion coming up here soon," Johnson said. "The market is moving, the market is moving. As long as I just keep being myself, keep playing at a high level, definitely going to have to be some more conversations coming up soon and really keep it long term. So, I'm looking forward to that." It certainly feels like the Bears are getting a steal with Johnson at $19 million per year, and there's no doubt that he deserves to be paid like a top cornerback. But Johnson just signed an extension last offseason, so this feels more like it's a discussion to happen next offseason. Despite Chicago's disappointing and frustrating 2024 season, Johnson remained one of the league's best cornerbacks with three takeaways (two interceptions, one forced fumble), eight pass breakups and recorded a career-high in tackles (53) and tackles for loss (7) in 17 games while earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod. Johnson was placed on the Non-Football Injury list to start training camp, and it's unclear whether he'll be cleared in time for the Bears' first practice on Wednesday. But there's little doubt that he'll once again serve as a cornerstone in new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defense. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears CB Jaylon Johnson seeking another contract extension
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson indicates he's seeking another contract extension
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has established himself as one of the best in the NFL, which earned him a contract extension last offseason. But with cornerbacks resetting the market, including most recently with Sauce Gardner's deal, Johnson is eager to open up negotiations about another extension. Johnson inked a four-year, $110 million contract extension back in March 2024, which continues to be one of the most affordable in the league given the talent and contributions from Johnson at a premier position. During a recent appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," Johnson indicated he wants to discuss another extension as cornerbacks continue to rack up big pay days. "Just seeing a lot of the other corners getting paid — I almost feel like we might have another discussion coming up here soon," Johnson said. "The market is moving, the market is moving. As long as I just keep being myself, keep playing at a high level, definitely going to have to be some more conversations coming up soon and really keep it long term. So, I'm looking forward to that." It certainly feels like the Bears are getting a steal with Johnson at $19 million per year, and there's no doubt that he deserves to be paid like a top cornerback. But Johnson just signed an extension last offseason, so this feels more like it's a discussion to happen next offseason. Despite Chicago's disappointing and frustrating 2024 season, Johnson remained one of the league's best cornerbacks with three takeaways (two interceptions, one forced fumble), eight pass breakups and recorded a career-high in tackles (53) and tackles for loss (7) in 17 games while earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod. Johnson was placed on the Non-Football Injury list to start training camp, and it's unclear whether he'll be cleared in time for the Bears' first practice on Wednesday. But there's little doubt that he'll once again serve as a cornerstone in new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defense. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jaylon Johnson among 4 Chicago Bears on the non-football injury list as training camp nears
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was one of four Chicago Bears players placed on the non-football injury list Saturday afternoon, a surprise twist as the team readies for training camp. Other Bears given the NFI designation were backup quarterback Case Keenum, second-year running back Ian Wheeler and receiver Jahdae Walker, an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M. Johnson, the team's top cornerback, was by far the most significant name on the list with no immediate clarity on the specifics of his ailment. Quarterbacks and rookies began checking in to Halas Hall on Saturday for training camp with the full team's reporting date coming Tuesday. The Bears' first practice is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Players with NFI status — designated as such due to an injury or illness that occurred away from official team activity — are ineligible to practice until cleared but still count against a team's 90-man roster limit. Players who remain on the NFI list after the league's final cutdown day at the end of the preseason are required to miss a minimum of four games. Johnson, who signed a four-year, $76 million extension during the 2024 offseason, was not present for the entirety of the team's mandatory minicamp last month, with Bears coach Ben Johnson acknowledging his absence as 'excused.' (Jaylon Johnson's charity golf tournament was taking place that week in California.) Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles are scheduled to address the media Tuesday afternoon at Halas Hall. The team already has a short list of significant players with injuries that might affect their availability for the start of camp, including Braxton Jones (ankle), Colston Loveland (shoulder) and Luther Burden III (undisclosed). Jaylon Johnson's status will be worth monitoring as the team marches into Ben Johnson's first camp as coach with designs on becoming a playoff contender this season.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Jaylon Johnson among 4 Chicago Bears on the non-football injury list as training camp nears
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was one of four Chicago Bears players placed on the non-football injury list Saturday afternoon, a surprise twist as the team readies for training camp. Other Bears given the NFI designation were backup quarterback Case Keenum, second-year running back Ian Wheeler and receiver Jahdae Walker, an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M. Johnson, the team's top cornerback, was by far the most significant name on the list with no immediate clarity on the specifics of his ailment. Quarterbacks and rookies began checking in to Halas Hall on Saturday for training camp with the full team's reporting date coming Tuesday. The Bears' first practice is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Players with NFI status — designated as such due to an injury or illness that occurred away from official team activity — are ineligible to practice until cleared but still count against a team's 90-man roster limit. Players who remain on the NFI list after the league's final cutdown day at the end of the preseason are required to miss a minimum of four games. Johnson, who signed a four-year, $76 million extension during the 2024 offseason, was not present for the entirety of the team's mandatory minicamp last month, with Bears coach Ben Johnson acknowledging his absence as 'excused.' (Jaylon Johnson's charity golf tournament was taking place that week in California.) Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles are scheduled to address the media Tuesday afternoon at Halas Hall. The team already has a short list of significant players with injuries that might affect their availability for the start of camp, including Braxton Jones (ankle), Colston Loveland (shoulder) and Luther Burden III (undisclosed). Jaylon Johnson's status will be worth monitoring as the team marches into Ben Johnson's first camp as coach with designs on becoming a playoff contender this season.
