5 Current starters who are unlikely to be in a Chicago Bears uniform in 2024

Chicago Bears Starter Unlikely to Return: Jaylon Johnson, CB

Another player who is in a similar situation to Darnell Mooney but on the opposite side of the ball is Jaylon Johnson. Johnson has already had a rough start to the 2023 offseason. 2022 was the first year of the regime and Jaylon Johnson and others have only had one year to audition. Those like Mooney and Johnson who are in contract years need to continue to make a great impression. Well, Johnson decided not to show up for voluntary OTAs.

I don't think it is that big of a deal as he showed up for the final week and was in constant contact with his positional coach. That said, we aren't going to know for sure if the decision will negatively affect Matt Eberflus' opinion of him.

Johnson will also need to prove himself this season. He has been close to a shutdown corner, but still lacks in key areas to make him worthy of giving a large contract. Over the last three years, Johnson has missed 11 games. Over that same time, he only has one interception. That's not good enough, especially for a Matt Eberflus defense. The upside is that he has never allowed over a 60% completion percentage when targeted.

We also have to wonder if the addition of Tyrique Stevenson is Johnson's planned replacement or if Ryan Poles and Eberflus envision Stevenson, Johnson and Gordon as their cornerback trio moving forward.