Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on defense against Cowboys running back Malik Davisas he dives into the end zone at AT&T Stadium on Oct. 30, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez, Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tri)
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson plans to attend organized team activities at Halas Hall next week, he told ESPN radio Thursday.
Johnson missed the first two weeks of OTAs, which are voluntary, but he has been participating in meetings via videoconference call. Coach Matt Eberflus said after practice Wednesday that he hoped to have Johnson in the fold at least by mandatory minicamp June 13-15 and potentially next week.
Johnson said on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill and Max show that he didn’t attend the first two weeks because he was spending time with his daughter in their hometown of Fresno, Calif.
“I don’t get too much time during the season to get with her,” he said. “For me, the offseason is a lot of time for her, to make that up for family. I’m a big family guy for sure, being a young dad, just trying to be present in my daughter’s life. So I take a lot of pride in that.”
Johnson said he was also attending to business, including preparing for a golf event Saturday for his charity, Kevvy’s Vision Project, which he created in 2021 to honor his friend who was shot and killed. Johnson runs a Christmas carnival through the charity and hopes to offer scholarships too. He said quarterback Justin Fields planned to attend the golf event.
Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, is entering his fourth season with the Bears, and his OTAs absence brought up questions about a potential quest for a contract extension.
He has started 39 games over three seasons with one interception, 31 passes defended, two forced fumbles and 125 tackles. General manager Ryan Poles said after the draft he hopes Johnson is “a guy we get to keep here for a while too.”
When asked Thursday about his contract on ESPN, Johnson turned the focus to how he can help the Bears win.
“For me, it used to be a lot of pressure. Going into my third year, I felt like that was the year for me to put myself out there to have a new contract, to be able to re-up,” Johnson said. “It’s just about going out and being who I am. I know I can be a dominant corner. I am a dominant corner in this league, following the No. 1 wide receivers. And just finding ways to do my job at a higher rate, continue to be a better teammate, continue to find ways to win. At the end of the day, that’s all I want to do. I haven’t had a winning season since I’ve been on the Chicago Bears yet.
“With winning comes paychecks. At the end of the day, I need to focus on winning, and that’s what I’m worried about going into Year 4.”
Johnson is one of just a few starters who haven’t participated in OTAs so far. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson are recovering from injuries. New veteran guard Nate Davis also has been absent, but Eberflus indicated it’s not injury related.
Bears coaches have walked the line between saying there is value to being at OTAs while also acknowledging the league makes the sessions voluntary. New Bears cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke said Johnson can get a better feel for how Hoke teaches at practice.
“Just the subtle changes of how I teach and the way it was taught before from a technical standpoint as much as anything else,” Hoke said. “The package is the package, the scheme’s the scheme, but there are nuances about how you teach certain things, so that’s the big part of it.”
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Originally published at Tribune News Service