Bears CB Jaylon Johnson looked inward for 'breakthrough'

An athlete who makes $19 million a year usually has a tough time convincing anyone he’s a regular guy with problems just like the rest of us. But Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson effectively and admirably pulled off that feat Monday.

While basking in the glow of a four-year, $76 million contract extension with $54 million guaranteed, Johnson showed off not only his trademark confidence that he’s the best at what he does, but also a personal vulnerability that was a part of the journey toward him standing tall at the podium in the interview room at Halas Hall: He underwent therapy for a sexual addiction last season, something “that was harder than anything” he went through on the football field in 2023.

“It’s because I know I’m not the only one going through it, for one,” Johnson said when asked why he volunteered that personal trial in his opening statement. “Two — it’s OK to go through stuff. It’s OK to now be perfect, and I feel like people put us literally on a pedestal to get up here and talk … [but] we are humans, too. We go through things. Everybody goes through things. But I feel like people feel like you’ve got to put a mask on — you’ve got to cover it up. [But] it’s OK to go through things. It’s OK to seek help. It’s OK to be vulnerable.”

Just as he leaned on his faith in trying to get a long-term contract, Johnson leaned on his faith to get him through the personal trial. And, like just about every other facet of his challenging 2023 season, he came out better for it.

“[That experience] didn’t affect me [negatively] at all. If anything it boosted me up into being who I needed to be,” Johnson said. “In that place of vulnerability, I had a breakthrough with myself and a breakthrough on the football field. It boosted me to be who I know I am.”

That’s one reason why Johnson made a point to thank everyone from Jesus Christ to the cafeteria staff at Halas Hall in a long list of acknowledgments to the coaches, teammates, communities, fans and supporters who helped get him here — and why Johnson brought several members of his inner circle to the press conference, including his father and step-mother, his mother, brother, girlfriend, an uncle and his agent.

“I know I wouldn’t be here without the people I have with me now,” he said. “Not just see it from Twitter or social media or pictures, but to actually be here and live in the moment with me was something that was very big to me.”

Even after the gigantic payday, Johnson more than most 25-year-old millionaires is aware that he’s taken just another step on the journey — as an NFL player and maturing adult. After earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, his contract makes him one of the highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL — third in guaranteed money and eighth in annual average value.

So when he says he won’t let up after getting the big contract, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt after betting on himself and winning big in 2023. “The contract changes some people, but I’m not one of those,” said Johnson, a second-round draft pick in 2020 who has been a starter since Week 1 of his rookie season. “I’m not moved by money. I’ve still got a lot to prove to myself. The money doesn’t stop the hunger.”

Johnson already has reset his goals, including the Hall of Fame and exceeding Charles Tillman as one of the best Bears defenders ever.

“Shoot, I’ve got to do it again. Some people think it’s luck,” Johnson said when asked what’s next. “I’ve got to do it three years in a row. I want to have that yellow jacket. I want to be the best 33 to wear that jersey. I know with things like that, you have to be consistently great. That’s my goal, to consistently be great.”