Bear Digest

Did Justin Jefferson Give Jaylon Johnson Enough Respect?

Analysis: There's no doubt Jaylon Johnson knows who Justin Jefferson is but it's debatable what Jefferson knows about Johnson. Maybe he finds out Sunday.

Gene Chamberlain

Justin Jefferson beats Bears backup CB Jaylon Jones to the pylon for a touchdown in a 2022 game played in Minneapolis.
Justin Jefferson beats Bears backup CB Jaylon Jones to the pylon for a touchdown in a 2022 game played in Minneapolis. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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Jaylon Johnson definitely seems to have paid respects to and has his focus on Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

It's safe to wonder whether the opposite is true.

During the past week, Johnson told the Tribune's Colleen Kane all the right things about facing possibly the best receiver in the league.

"I don't feel like he has a weakness," Johnson said. "They're going to try to get him the ball, so we have to be prepared to limit his production as best we can.


"I'm excited. I love playing against high-level guys like him. Just excited to go against their offense. Explosive offense. … I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Johnson made All-Pro second team and the Pro Bowl last season for the first time and was graded the best cornerback in the NFL last year by Pro Football Focus, but he has really only had the opportunity to face off against Jefferson one-on-one on rare occasion even playing in the same division.

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Jefferson missed both games in 2023 because of injuries. Johnson missed both 2022 games because of injuries. Their teams played each other in the final game of 2021 and it was a meaningless battle. Neither was headed to the playoffs and both teams' coaches were getting fired after that game, Mike Zimmer and Matt Nagy.

The two played only once that season because Johnson missed the first Vikings game with an injury. In 2020 and 2021 their teams played each other three times when both were in the lineup. Jefferson made 21 catches for 346 yards and a touchdown.

All told, Jefferson has 41 receptions for 585 yards and two TDs against the Bears. 

When the Bears didn't have Johnson available in 2022 due to injuries, Jefferson made 16 catches for 192 yards.

It almost sounds like the respect paid is a one-way street, however, as Jefferson seemed to damn Johnson with faint praise when he talked with Minnesota reporters, and didn't even seem to know much about Johnson.

"Yeah, he's a good corner," Jefferson said. "He's definitely a guy that you got to bring your game against but just like (reporters) said, we haven't really had a chance to see, to go up against each other since, I think, my second year, his rookie year. So it'll be good to go up against him but I'm not really too focused on that."

Just in case Jefferson really cared, Johnson wasn't a rookie in the game during Jefferson's second year.

They both came into the league the same season, the same draft, only 28 picks apart, and were in their second seasons in 2021. But not everyone can be second in voting for offensive rookie of the year and make the Pro Bowl their first three seasons like Jefferson. His jersey even has a spot in Canton right now for a made-up type of record.

It's a lofty perch, and from there maybe kind of hard to see the little guys down below.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.