Bears Teammate Sends Strong Message on Jaylon Johnson After Comments

Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears

What Jaylon Johnson brings to the Chicago Bears on the field is indisputable.

But his presence in the locker room is equally important. His brand of leadership is a key for the Bears going forward.

Before the Bears’ Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, Johnson expressed his faith in Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell. The latter two were filling in for starters Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon.

That display was a glimpse of Johnson’s vocal leadership.

Jaylon Johnson’s Leadership an Underrated Asset in Bears’ Locker Room

Bears Secondary in Good Hands With Jaylon Johnson

“Man, yeah,  – I call him 3-3 [Johnson’s former jersey number] – Jaylon, yeah, he’s been a great leader for us the three years that I’ve been here,” Josh Blackwell told Clocker Sports on October 31. “His ability to step in as the vocal leader, but also on the field of the leader, for the entire league, for us to see is great.

“I’m glad that he trusts me, I’m glad that he trusts us, the guys that are not a starter. So I feel like it’s definitely a good feeling to hear that. And as long as we keep stacking and growing together, with him at the helm, we’ll be alright.”

Johnson expressed his feelings that the team could have played the fateful Hail Mary play – which saw Tyrique Stevenson out of position before he tipped the ball – differently.

Johnson was also clear that, even with that, the Bears “knew our responsibilities.”

Johnson was a Secon-Team All-Pro in 2023, but he has long earned respect around the league. He can “call out” – for lack of a better term – one side of the issue because he also highlights the errors of the other. In this case, while Johnson makes it clear he wishes the Bears would have done things differently, he does not excuse their error.

There was another tenet of Johnson’s leadership that should not be underestimated: accountability.

That has been a buzzword this week at Halas Hall and rightfully so.

Kevin Byard: ‘We Have to Be Accountable to Each Other’

“Well, I think it’s just important period,” Kevin Byard told Clocker Sports on Wednesday. “Accountability, I think probably should be one of the main – well, not probably – is one of the main pillars of a successful organization. Doesn’t matter if it’s football or any organization. You’re talking about you have to be accountable to yourself, and we have to be accountable to each other. So, I think we are.

Byard was one of the Bears to speak out about supporting Stevenson following the rough ending in the loss to the Commanders. He was also among those to disagree with the call, saying he felt the Bears should have been up more in coverage.

The idea would be to prevent the easy gain Washington got. The Bears just that did on a similar play at the end of the first half of the contest.

Byard said he does not regret what he said. But he does wish he would have left “family business” behind closed doors in reference to his talk with Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

“Mistakes happen,” Byard said “Just the past 48 hours has been, I think, emotional for everybody. Probably emotional for the fans, the city, everybody. … But when you look back at it also being accountable to, ‘Hey, if I could have handled it differently, I should have,’ and being man enough to say it, and be it a man enough to speak on it. So I say it’s all accountability.”

There is a theme here.

Bears Veteran Leaders Speaking Candidly

Byard, Johnson, DJ Moore, and Cole Kmet have all spoken out, questioning plays called during the game or the parts of the week of preparation leading up to it. It was Marcedes Lewis who urged offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to change his early-game routine.

These are established, veteran players. Johnson, Kmet, and Moore all have long-term contracts. That security can breed a sense of ownership of the messaging from the locker room in players.

How this past week fuels – or foils – the Bears is what matters most.