Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson did not mince words as the team heads into Thanksgiving on the heels of a five-game losing streak.
The Bears, who once looked competitive at 4-2, have spiraled into a slump that has left Johnson—and much of the fanbase—grappling with mounting frustrations.
“I’ve been in slumps four, five years in a row now,” Johnson told the media on Monday via the Associated Press. “At the end of the day, I don’t look for, ‘OK, what is going to be better in the future?’ It will be better when it’s better. Right now, it’s not better. That’s all I can go off of.”
The raw honesty from Johnson reflects a broader sentiment surrounding a franchise that hasn’t enjoyed a winning season since 2018. For Johnson, who joined the team in 2020, the closest taste of success came in his rookie season when the Bears posted an 8-8 record. Since then, inconsistency and heartbreak have defined his tenure.
Chicago’s most recent loss, a 30-27 overtime heartbreaker to the Minnesota Vikings, epitomizes their struggles. Despite staging a dramatic late-game comeback, self-inflicted wounds once again cost them the win. The Vikings marched down the field effortlessly in overtime, capping off a game where Chicago’s defense surrendered 452 total yards and allowed an alarming 7.0 yards per play.
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Though quarterback Caleb Williams showed flashes of brilliance in breaking out of a weeks-long slump, it wasn’t enough to overcome the defensive lapses. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, now in his second season, faces mounting scrutiny as his team continues to falter. After losing the final 10 games of the 2022 season, this latest five-game skid marks a worrying continuation of a pattern.
Johnson, a leader on the defensive side, made it clear that morale in the locker room is low. “I don’t walk around with a smile on my face,” he said bluntly. “There ain’t nothing to be happy about. My frustration is at a high. Everybody’s frustration is at a high.”
That frustration stems not only from the losses but from how they’ve occurred. Missed assignments, turnovers, and defensive breakdowns have become all too familiar. Chicago’s inability to close out games despite promising stretches of play has added to the growing discontent.
With the Bears set to face the 10-1 Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, there is little time to dwell on the struggles. Detroit, one of the league’s most dominant teams this season, presents a monumental challenge for Chicago, especially on a short week.
While Johnson and the defense will need to regroup quickly, the offense also faces the daunting task of keeping up with a Lions team that has consistently found ways to put points on the board. For a Bears team searching for answers, Thursday’s game offers both an opportunity and a potential tipping point.
For now, however, the focus remains on halting the slide and finding something—anything—to salvage what has become another forgettable season. As Johnson said, “It will be better when it’s better.” Whether that improvement comes this week or much further down the line remains to be seen.
