Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Could be Cleared for Week 1, But Will He be Ready?

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson hopes to be ready for the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Monday night.

He just wasn’t ready to make any promises after missing all of training camp because of a groin injury he suffered while working out in the summer.

“I’m doing everything I can to play,” he said in his first comments since last spring. “I know I had a good workout this morning, so I’m feeling good, probably the best I felt all offseason — well, training camp, per se — but just trying to do everything I can to be back.”

Johnson said he was injured in “a freak accident” while working with some receivers in Las Vegas, and he knew immediately it was serious. He expected to be cleared for practice on Tuesday, when the Bears held more of a walkthrough. Whether he’ll play against Minnesota and an offense featuring one of the NFL’s best receivers in Justin Jefferson largely hinges on how he responds this week.

“Just depends on where my body’s at,” he said. “Because again, I’ve been out for six weeks, so hopefully my body responds fairly quickly and I can feel good. And with the staff, the training staff, (we’ll) figure out what’s the best plan.”

Coach Ben Johnson expressed concern that Johnson’s conditioning could be an issue, even if he is cleared to play. He also said the Bears want to do their best to make sure their star cornerback doesn’t reinjure himself.

“I know he’s feeling significantly better than obviously he was from the start,” Ben Johnson said. “We’ll see what he looks like moving around and hopefully take it from there. I know he’s excited to get back out with his teammates here soon.”

Jaylon Johnson acknowledged he needs practice reps.

“I like to say I can go out there and play,” he said. “But I mean, it’s definitely hard too. I feel like if we had a game today, it wouldn’t be a thing. But I think really this week will be important for me to get the pads back on, get practices under my belt, game speed, moving around, covering guys, communicating. I think that all will help me. But again, there’s not too much you can replicate in the game.”

The Bears made some big moves coming off a 5-12 season, most notably hiring Ben Johnson and remaking their offensive line. They believe they’re poised to be more competitive, and they won’t have to wait long to find out how they stack up against the top teams in the NFC North. Their first two opponents were a combined 29-5 last year, with a trip to Detroit following the opener against the Vikings.

Jaylon Johnson, beginning his sixth season, made the Pro Bowl the past two years. He has six of his seven career interceptions in that span.

With the Bears expected to play more man-to-man coverage, Johnson figures to spend more time shadowing the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver. Jefferson, a two-time All-Pro, would obviously pose a huge challenge even if Johnson was completely healthy.

As for whether he’s ready to shadow receivers?

“For this game, it’s hard to say,” Johnson said. “I feel like it would be a situation where we had to figure out what that game plan looks like. But, I mean, as far as what I’ve been doing, I know I’ve been putting a lot of work outside the facility as well, so I’m confident in that. But again, that would be something I’ll feel more so in the game, in that situation.”

Johnson agreed to a four-year, $76 million contract extension in March 2004. Several cornerbacks have since signed more lucrative deals. But Johnson insisted he wasn’t holding out and that his absence was strictly injury-related.

“You know me better than that. I never held out,” he said. “I haven’t ever done any of that. So I mean, for me, again, for the media, it’s a good play as far as the contract and the timing and things, but I’m not that type of cat.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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