Jaylon Johnson 'Tired' of Buzz About Bears' Potential: 'We Got to Prove it'

After an offseason full of buzz, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is ready to prove that his team is worth the hype.

"I feel like I've been on some talented rosters to where we've had a lot of upside," Johnson said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "I feel like for me it's one of those things where I'm tired of just having upside and having potential. I want to be in a position where we actually go out there and we are that and not just what we're projected to be at."

Johnson added:

"It's about action at this point, so the projections, the energy, the enthusiasm all feels good in the beginning because everybody, every team, every fan [says], 'Oh this is our year, this is our year,' so I'm not on that type of time as far as, 'Oh yeah, this is our year.' Nah, we got to go out here and we got to prove it and I think that starts with Day 1, starts with today. But that's something that's going to carry on from now until the end of the season whenever that is, if that's playoffs or not."

The Bears have been one of the most talked-about teams off the offseason, and for good reason. They made a splash in the trade market, landing wide receiver Keenan Allen in a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, and also added a talented running back in free agency, signing D'Andre Swift.

In the draft, Chicago landed two of the most exciting rookies in this year's class, first taking former Heisman quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick and then selecting an offensive weapon for him in wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth pick.

The big offseason from the Bears has led to big expectations heading into the season, and Johnson and other members of the team will look to fulfill them. The last decade has not yielded much success for Chicago with just two wild-card round appearances to show for since 2011, the latest coming in 2020.

The Bears are entering a new era this season and will look to finally right the ship.