LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has long expressed his desire to shadow opposing teams' star wide receivers, from the Vikings' Justin Jefferson to the Raiders' Davante Adams and others.
Johnson hasn't gotten his wish as the Bears have primarily used him on their preferred side of the field rather than prioritizing a particular one-on-one matchup. The reason for that is because it's a foundational principle of their defensive scheme, cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator Jon Hoke said Thursday.
"That happened a lot more back when nobody motioned," Hoke said. "Because all they have to do is put him over (one side) and motion him over there. So, if you're an offensive guy and all of a sudden (a cornerback) is running with that guy, does that tell you what the coverage is? It tells (an offense) I'm in man.
"What they do too is they put (receivers) in different spots. Back in the day, you had the big X and you had the Z. Now, they'll take that big X receiver, take Mike Evans for example, they'll put him in the slot. So, in zone coverage, not all corners play inside. I'm going to shadow him, but now I got to go play outside. What coverage does that tell me? They're in zone.
"It used to be a thing. If you're a man-based team and you know that and it doesn't bother you, then you do that. But if you're trying to be multiple and play both, it becomes a little bit more challenging. I would say it's worked out for us so far. We have our growing pains. Obviously, Tyrique (Stevenson) is still learning. But I don't see it as a big factor."
The 24-year-old Johnson has three interceptions in 45 career games with the Bears over four NFL seasons. He's seeking a contract extension from the team, but the negotiations have grown increasingly difficult, to the point that Johnson requested a trade Monday night. The Bears retained Johnson as the trade deadline passed Tuesday afternoon after no one matched their asking price of a late first-round or early second-round pick. Johnson is playing in the final season of his rookie contract.
A key sticking point in the contract negotiations, according to multiple sources, is how Johnson hasn't produced enough game-changing plays. Part of the reason Johnson hasn't produced those is because he hasn't been targeted that often by opposing offenses, which prefer to match up their top receivers away from his side.
Johnson has been targeted 5.1 times per game and surrendered 2.9 receptions on average during his NFL career.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
