During the Chicago Bears' joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, there were some good and bad things to take away from it.
Chicago's offense seemed to have performed well in the passing game despite the pressure Caleb Williams faced from the Bengals' defensive front. The Bears' defense, though, seemed to have a tough time against Cincinnati's high-powered offense.
Still, there were some good performances from the Bears' defense. One Bears defender stood out so much that it even left Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase feeling a certain way about him.
Bears got a solid performance from cornerback Jaylon Johnson at Bengals joint practice
Good old Jaylon Johnson looks to be back in his 2024 Pro Bowl form after a solid day at the office. Chicago Sun-Times Bears reporter Patrick Finley shared Chase's answer on why Johnson was such a problem for him.
‘‘Real good corner,’’ Chase said. ‘‘Pretty aggressive on a couple of plays.’’
‘‘I get jumped every day. I get jumped for a living. I’ve gotten many yards [after] getting jumped at the line. That’s not aggressive.’’
Finley reported that the one time Chase succeeded against the Bears' secondary, it wasn't against Johnson. Chase was able to make a play on Tyrique Stevenson, which was a jump ball on the right sideline.
Johnson was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and 2024, but a soft-tissue injury cost him roughly two months last year. He finished last season with 17 tackles, two pass deflections, and one interception in seven games, but allowed a career-high 72.7% completion percentage in coverage.
It was a good sign to see Johnson perform so well in practice, as that's what Bears fans have seen throughout training camp. He's been the same guy they remembered before the 2025 season. Last year was a wash because he couldn't stay 100% healthy throughout the campaign.
The hope is that Johnson's momentum can continue at Bears training camp. He most likely won't see any action during the preseason, so they won't know whether he's truly returned to the old Johnson they remember and love until the regular season.
Read more: Bears-Bengals joint practice created an uneasy Garrett Bradbury topic
There is still a lot that can happen over the next few weeks at Bears training camp, but this secondary needs Johnson to step up in a big way after all the injuries. As long as he can be the guy who made the Pro Bowl twice, this defense might be able to pull itself out of the bottom of the league and help the offense make a Super Bowl run.
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