Top 10 Greater Expectations - #5

In this series, we will look at which Chicago Bears players need to step up their play to match their pay in 2025.

Expectations are a tricky thing. One of the safest ways to fan over the years is to set the bar low and not expect much from your team. We Chicago Bears fans know this well. I couldn’t help but think of one of the all-time great MADtv skits as I began this series. Let’s be honest, these actually were mostly terrible, but the point remains. Expectations are key!

However, with Ben Johnson now calling the shots in Chi-town and Caleb Williams under center, times are looking up for The Beloved. With over $64 million in cap space and 4 picks in the top 75 of this upcoming NFL Draft, Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles has plenty of resources at his disposal to improve the team moving forward. But what about the players currently under contract? In this series, we will highlight ten players who need to step up their play to justify their contract while simultaneously helping the team win more games.

Whose play needs to match their pay?

Next up at #5, we have CB, Jaylon Johnson.

Jaylon Johnson earned every penny of his 4-year $76,000,000 extension that he signed nearly one year ago. Granted, he only played in 14 games that season, but he earned 2nd Team All Pro Honors and a Pro Bowl nod with his 4 INT (1 TD), 10 Passes Defensed, and 1 FF.

However, last season he took a step back this season from a production standpoint, despite playing in all 17 games. Kudos to him for being at least available to start every game in a season, that is definitely a big deal. However, he had fewer Passes Defensed (8) and fewer INT (2) despite playing in more games. To be fair, he had career highs in tackles (53) and Tackles for a Loss (7) but also posted a 20.1% missed tackle rate which was 12th highest among corners last season and greater than his career rate of 16.6%.

In 2025, Jaylon Johnson’s Cap hit is third highest on the team at $21,000,000. Considering he will now have Dennis Allen and Al Harris on board, I expect more opportunities for Jaylon to get his hands on the ball and better production on the ball when those opportunities present themselves. I also expect more man-to-man opportunities where he will shadow the opposing teams #1 receiver. If those things prove to be true, I feel it is fair to say that Jaylon Johnson must increase his ball production while decreasing his missed tackle rate, especially considering his 2025 price tag.