When it's Green Bay Packers week, the Chicago Bears know every player needs to step up to the plate, so all eyes will be on cornerback Jaylon Johnson to see how he responds in a showdown against wide receiver Christian Watson.
Johnson will be tested early and often in this matchup, with Watson as the Packers' top receiver alongside Matthew Golden. Green Bay has become a passing team primarily since the commissioner placed Josh Jacobs on the commissioner's list.
This game becomes all about Johnson competing one-on-one with Watson in coverage all game long. Anything short of his best game of the season, and Johnson could certainly see himself in the hot seat after a very bad start to the 2026 season.
Examining Jaylon Johnson's shaky start to Bears' 2026 season
Everyone was hoping that Johnson would be able to bounce back from his injury-filled 2025 season by getting back into 2023 and 2024 Pro Bowl forms. Bears fans are still waiting after four below average games to say it nicely.
In four games this season, Johnson has racked up 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. The alarming stats for him is that he has not had a single pass deflection, he's allowed an average of 16.5 yards per reception, and has allowed a passer rating of 118.8.
Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 46.4, ranking him 91st out of 103 eligible cornerbacks. He also has a coverage grade of 39.9 (ranked 99th) and a run-defense grade of 77.5 (ranked 18th).
Sure, he's playing the run well, but so is everyone else on that defense. Johnson has struggled with one-on-one coverage and allowing way too many completions. He has gotten outplayed by a fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad badly, and no one can understand how this has happened.
How Jaylon Johnson has fared against Christian Watson over the years in Bears-Packers rivalry
It's not the best time for Johnson to go up against Watson since he is not exactly at his best. These two have quite the history of playing agianst each other that dates back to the 2022 season.
According to StatMuse, the two have faced off against each other six times. Watson has 16 receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 19.5 yards per reception.
The results have been kind of mixed when the two face against each other, with Johnson allowing less than 8.5 yards per reception in half of those games. Their other three matchups are between 16 yards per catch to 37.5 yards per reception.
This is truly the rubber match between the two to see which one is better. Their history shows the kind of inconsistency that makes this matchup the most interesting of the weekend.
What Jaylon Johnson needs to do to shut down Watson in first 2026 showdown
Watson has size and speed, which can be a dangerous combo to have. He's already off to a nice start to the season, catching 20 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns. Watson has embraced the WR1 role in Green Bay well and is playing good football in the process.
Johnson needs to be aware of the big-play potential that Watson has, as the Packers receiver already has an 81-yard reception to his stat line. Watson is a 6-foot-4 receiver who has 4.3 speed, which has always given Johnson fits over the years.
This could be a game where Johnson might have to play softer coverage and let Watson collect easy five-yard completions instead of letting him win on deeper routes. If Watson gets behind Johnson in coverage, unless Johnson has safety support, the Packers are going to create big plays.
Read more: Bears' early season kickoff return struggles could bite them later in 2026
Chicago has to hope that Johnson is up to the task of facing off against one of the best deep threat receivers in the NFL. He needs a good game more than anyone, as this is a legacy-defining moment for Johnson. Heck, it might even affect his future with the team if he can turn things around in thigs game, so he better come ready to play against Watson and the Packers.
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