
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson shares personal goals for 2025
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson shares personal goals for 2025
The expectations for the Chicago Bears have risen this offseason, from a team standpoint and a player standpoint, especially the leaders on both offense and defense. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson is ready to elevate his game to an even higher level with this new coaching staff, led on defense by veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
The Bears have made considerable upgrades on both offense and defense, but Johnson has been a mainstay for Chicago, even through the rough years. Now, with hype and expectations rising around the team, Johnson is hoping to elevate his game to the next level.
In a recent interview, Johnson detailed his personal goals for the season, which were quite detailed and lofty -- but nothing Johnson isn't capable of.
"My expectations for this year, I just wrote my numbers down, I want to have seven interceptions, three forced fumbles, ten turnovers at least," Johnson told FOX Sports' Speak show. "I want to have no touchdowns given up, no games over 50 receiving yards allowed. First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, and I want to get in the end zone three times, that's for sure."
Johnson's career high in interceptions in a single season is four (2023), and he's had one forced fumble in each season since 2021. One of the league's best coverage corners in the game, Johnson clearly wants to become more of a ballhawk and a playmaker under his new defensive coordinator.
There is going to be many reasons to watch the Bears this year, but Johnson setting his sights even higher is definitely something to keep an eye on this season.
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New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Steelers finally get their quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, but buyer beware
It feels like we just watched Aaron Rodgers on a weird, man-on-the-streets version of a reality TV dating show, one in which our dapper dude begrudgingly committed to someone after a far more arduous saga than anyone ever imagined. Resigned to the belief that a third-best option was better than no option at all, our bachelor talked himself into awarding the rose to the only partner left standing. Together, they awkwardly begin their new union, ignoring the signs that suggest this won't end well. Advertisement That's basically what happened between Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. Some 85 days after the revamping New York Jets released him, after the Minnesota Vikings pledged loyalty to second-year pro J.J. McCarthy, and after the New York Giants signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson in free agency and drafted Jaxson Dart for good measure, Rodgers is officially a Steeler. Contingency plan Mason Rudolph led the Steelers' first-team offense through its sixth and final voluntary offseason practice session. But the plan now calls for Rodgers to fly to Pittsburgh, where on Tuesday he'll take the field for his new team's three-day mandatory minicamp, catch his breath for six weeks and then report for training camp No. 21 and begin his quest for one last shot at football glory. Their patience — or desperation — rewarded, the Steelers got their guy. They're rolling the dice on yet another long-in-the-tooth quarterback, viewing him as better suited to lead their roster into battle than any journeyman, project quarterback or unproven rookie. This is a buyer-beware situation, however. The Steelers signed a sure-fire Hall of Famer with a Super Bowl ring, four MVPs and 10 Pro Bowl selections on his resume. But Rodgers, who turns 42 in December, is a shell of himself. Coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan envision Rodgers replicating what Tom Brady did with Tampa Bay and leading the Steelers on a storybook championship march. But Rodgers is no Brady — who was a robot of a professional, even at 43, with no agenda beyond winning — and this Steelers roster is not on par with those 2020 Buccaneers. To be clear, Rodgers is better than any other quarterback the Steelers have on their roster. Rudolph, on his second stint with the team, is 9-8-1 with 28 touchdowns, 20 interceptions and 13 fumbles in five seasons. Skylar Thompson has three starts and 10 total appearances to his name, with just one touchdown pass and three interceptions. Sixth-round rookie Will Howard is a project quarterback. 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And that raises the question of why, if Pittsburgh was so intent on this Rodgers fling, it didn't hang onto Pickens for one more season to ensure this over-the-hill legend at least had a dynamic receiver tandem with which to work. Just as Metcalf may not be a legit upgrade over Pickens, Rodgers might not be any better than Russell Wilson. Compare the aging former NFC rivals' last three seasons. The numbers are eerily similar. Rodgers completed 63.7 percent of his passes; Wilson 63.4 percent. Rodgers had 54 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions. Wilson had 58 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions. Rodgers went 14-21; Wilson 17-24. But an eight-year playoff win drought and a refusal to do what it takes to acquire a top-flight rookie quarterback and endure the development stages have clouded the Steelers' judgment. Did they forget that Father Time remains undefeated? Sure, Brady and Peyton Manning managed to deliver Super Bowls to new teams as the sun set on their careers. 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Unhappy with the way team president Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst were running the team and his lack of input, Rodgers was publicly critical of both and wanted Gutekunst fired. Fatigued by his antics and growing non-football interests, the Packers moved on with Rodgers in the dark. Did the Steelers forget how Rodgers criticized the dysfunctional ways of the Jets organization, eventually leading to head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas getting fired? Rather than accept accountability for New York's shortcomings during last year's 5-12 debacle, Rodgers regularly used his buddy Pat McAfee's show as a platform to call out teammates and Jets leadership. Pittsburgh officials are guilty of arrogance, viewing themselves as a far superior franchise to the Jets and immune to such a debacle. Perhaps they see more similarities to Green Bay and believe Rodgers will embrace a return to structure and simply play his role. But that would require Rodgers to possess a keen focus and unquenchable thirst for winning at all costs and the humility necessary to adapt and alter his approach. If Tomlin thinks he's getting a laser-focused Rodgers who's all about sacrificing for the greater good, he should think again. Sure, Rodgers may have expressed respect during this drawn-out courtship, which seemingly even included Tomlin cutting a deal that let the quarterback skip all but three days of the offseason program. But as he welcomes Rodgers aboard, Tomlin is putting himself and the franchise at great risk. Advertisement League insiders have long regarded Tomlin as a strong leader of men with a knack for managing complicated personalities and getting his charges to exceed expectations and overcome adversity. He draws praise for having never experienced a losing season in 18 years as head coach. However, he'll have to use every management and relationship-massaging trick he's got to prevent Rodgers from taking a stick of dynamite to the Steelers' near pristine culture if things play out poorly. Critics have long said that while Tomlin's avoidance of losing records is remarkable, his unwillingness to evolve in the areas of team operations, staff construction and talent evaluation actually holds the Steelers back. If losses mount and Rodgers makes the same observations about an antiquated approach, he'll certainly pull back the curtain on this boss, as he has on others, and subject a proud franchise to embarrassment. Speaking of relationships, one of the most important ones will be that of the quarterback and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Many league insiders believe that to avoid a combustible situation, Tomlin will give Rodgers freedom to operate as he pleases. It will take work for Smith to align his conservative, run-first philosophies with those of Rodgers, who still views himself as a gunslinger. The two have never worked together. Smith worked under Matt LaFleur, Rodgers' head coach in Green Bay, when LaFleur was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee. And Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth had a brief stint as an offseason teammate of Rodgers' in 2006. But there are no pre-existing ties to ensure this thing remains on track. Blending existing concepts with those of a veteran quarterback isn't easy. Just ask Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich, who spent half of the 2020 season trying to do so for Brady before finding the perfect mix late in that season. And that was while working with the laser-focused Brady and not a quarterback like Rodgers with meandering interests and a strong sense of entitlement. 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Chicago Tribune
32 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
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Private equity firms are eager to buy minority stakes in sports teams. Nearly half of all MLB teams already have sold ownership shares to private-equity investors, and Reinsdorf just joined the group with the planned capital infusions and eventual sale to Ishbia, a private equity investor. The NFL last year began allowing private-equity investments for the first time. This opened up a new source of capital for owners and helped turbocharge an unprecedented boom in franchise valuations. Reinsdorf's deal with Ishbia shows one way this can be done: But Halas-McCaskeys please note: An outright sale isn't necessary; a significant capital infusion can happen without requiring a change of control. Selling chunks of the franchises could raise the capital the Bears and Sox owners want in order to help them afford new ballparks. Ryan already owns nearly 20% of the Bears and is considered likely to want a bigger stake. The owners also could borrow against the value of their franchises. This would affect their cash flow, true, but also could enable the owners to avoid diluting their ownership stake. Holding onto equity is particularly important in the NFL, where franchise valuations have increased at double-digit rates over the last five years. Finally, the Bears just might qualify for public support if they would open their minds to the possibility of building a stadium at the former Michael Reese Hospital site. Public incentives would be defensible, given the economic impact that would result from a major investment on the outskirts of Bronzeville. But the Bears just don't want to go there — which is their right, so long as they keep their paws out of the public till. David Greising is president and CEO of the Better Government Association.


Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
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