Bears star isn't interested in hearing about offseason hype 

There are a lot of reasons for Chicago Bears fans to be optimistic going into the 2025 season. Quarterback Caleb Williams is entering year two, they beefed up the offensive line around him and they hired the top head-coaching candidate of the offseason when they landed former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to run the team.

The hype is real, and the expectations are growing.

Just do not tell that to star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

At least not until the team starts actually winning football games when it matters most. 

Johnson discussed the subject of preseason hype on Tuesday, and he has no interest in buying into it. Wins are what he wants. Not offseason hype.

Here is what Johnson had to say, via the Chicago Sun-Times.

“Hype don’t win you no games. I’ve been here a minute. I’ve been through the hype. And we don’t win no games. So, for me, if it’s not about winning, quite honestly, I don’t really care about it. . . . I’ve been through it too many times, man. I’m going to get excited when we win in November. And December. And when we change some things and get into the playoffs. That’s when I’m going to get excited.”

There was plenty of hype for the Bears going into the 2024 season, especially after landing Williams with the No. 1 overall pick and teaming him up with wide receiver Rome Odunze. Combined with a busy offseason and the return of a rapidly improving defense — led in part by Johnson — the Bears actually had some real expectations going into the season.

Those expectations seem to be justified when the team won four of its first six games.

But starting with the Hail Mary defeat in Washington in Week 7, the Bears went on a 10-game losing streak that completely ruined the season. 

Johnson has been a Pro Bowl cornerback the past two years and figures to be one of the most important players on the Bears defense again this season. His mindset here is also good to keep young players accountable and making sure they do not buy into premature hype. It is one thing to win the offseason. It is something else entirely to win the actual games.