Chicago Bears star cornerback Jaylon Johnson has one specific mindset going into 2024’s regular-season finale against the Green Bay Packers: “F*** ’em.”
The Bears (4-12) are not fighting for a place in the 2024 NFL postseason nor will they have an opportunity to stop the Packers (11-5) from reaching the playoffs when the two teams meet at Lambeau Field this Sunday. But for Johnson — a team captain — seizing a chance to beat their biggest rival and finish the season on a high note is paramount.
“F*** ’em,” Johnson said in the Bears’ locker room on January 1 when asked about his mindset for the Packers game. “That’s how I’m feeling. I’m going to try to go out with a bang. It’s the last opponent on the schedule, so I’m looking forward to it.”
The Bears have lost all nine of their matchups with the Packers in the five seasons since Johnson joined the roster as a 2020 second-round pick and will be hard-pressed to flip the script on their NFC North rivals in Week 18 amid the team’s 10-game losing streak.
An unlikely win in Green Bay would send Chicago into the 2025 offseason with some momentum, though — especially if rookie quarterback Caleb Williams plays well.
Bears Can Reclaim Confidence With Win Over Packers
The Bears are only playing for pride in their regular-season finale against the Packers, but that should be enough for a squad that has continually battled adversity in 2024.
If the Bears can pull off a victory on Sunday, they will have beaten the Packers for the first time since December 2018 when they last won the division crown. While it would mean little in the short-term picture, the long-term benefits of closing things out on the right note could mean a great deal for next year’s returning players as well as Williams.
The challenge for the Bears will be trying to exploit the Packers’ struggling pass defense. That means the offensive line — which will not have starting left tackle Braxton Jones or left guard Teven Jenkins — will need to successfully keep Williams on his feet and give him time to execute the offense. It also means that Williams will need to lock in, limit some of his bad tendencies (taking unnecessary sacks) and take what the Packers give him, even if it means settling for short gains and hitting his targets in the flat.
Meanwhile, Johnson and the Bears defense must focus on limiting quarterback Jordan Love with Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs not expected to play much in the finale. Love has thrown for under 200 passing yards in each of the Packers’ last two games, but he has also gone six consecutive games without throwing an interception. If the Bears can force him to turn over the ball, they could take their chance to finish 2024 strong.
Jaylon Johnson Named Bears’ Lone 2024 Pro Bowler
Johnson has been candid about sharing his frustrations with the Bears’ struggles during the 2024 season. He has even openly discussed his infamous locker-room confrontation with former coach Matt Eberflus, an event that catalyzed the latter’s firing days later.
For what it’s worth, though, the rest of the league seems to recognize Johnson’s talent even if the Bears and their inability to sustain success have attempted to squander it.
Johnson was voted a starter on the NFC roster for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games when the NFL announced its results on January 2. It is the second straight Pro Bowl selection for Johnson — who was a reserve in 2023 — making him the first Bears cornerback picked for back-to-back Pro Bowls since Kyle Fuller accomplished the feat in 2018 and 2019.
The Bears had no other players selected for the 2025 Pro Bowl games roster.
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Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Disrespects Packers With 2-Word Message