The situation has officially escalated. The Bears are not only coming off their worst loss of the season and arguably the most embarrassing loss of the Matt Eberflus era, but things are unraveling in a hurry, all around.
Monday, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson sounded off on the current state of affairs within Halas Hall.
Johnson went live on 670 The Score and shared some thoughts on the effort he has seen out of some of his teammates this season.
You might have read, heard or even watched Johnson's comments as they took place on the air yesterday.
They weren't positive. He has had enough of watching some players put in a mediocre level of effort, therefore he called them out publicly.
Are there players on the Bears who don’t work as hard as others?
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) November 11, 2024
“That’s not really even a question,” Jaylon Johnson says.
So how can you help change that?
“Honestly, I’ve been fighting myself with this question for a long time,” Johnson says.
Listen: https://t.co/I0t6FriaEy pic.twitter.com/44yOTiRitw
Just a day after Johnson said what he said, the Bears then decided to fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday morning. It was a move many saw coming, but it can't be the only necessary move, right?
More Bears news:
We've seen players like Kevin Byard recently hint that head coach Matt Eberflus has lost the locker room, so this surely is only one small sample size of what's going on within those walls.
But, back to Johnson's comments real quick, they definitely ring louder now that Waldron has been fired.
Are Jaylon Johnson's comments reflective of Shane Waldron or Caleb Williams?
First of all, Johnson's comments were much-needed. This team clearly needs a wake-up call.
But, who was Johnson referring to? Are there some players on offense who have been allowed to loaf around or not necessarily put in the right amount of effort beneath Waldron? Were Johnson's comments indicative of the environment being tolerated in that room by the former offensive coordinator?
A better question might be... is Johnson hinting at Caleb Williams being part of that group? We've already heard reports that some veteran players are asking Matt Eberflus to bench Williams, which is alarming to say the least.
Could Johnson be one of those players?
Clearly, there is dysfunction within that locker room. Johnson is likely one of several veterans who see some glaring issues that have yet to be addressed by the coaching staff, and Waldron is only the tip of the iceberg.
For right now, Waldron is the scapegoat. By season's end, there are going to be other changes taking place; namely, Eberflus getting the boot as well.
But, Johnson's comments being followed by Waldron's firing sure lead to many questions. Certainly, not everyone is on the same page, even when it comes to the issue of this team's starting quarterback, shockingly enough.
If anything, Waldron's firing and Johnson's comments bring many of the inconsistencies and issues to an even brighter light.