During the nine weeks Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson stayed off the field after reinjuring his groin in September and having core muscle surgery, he stayed mostly at home, away from Halas Hall.

“It was better for me that way, to be away from the game that way,” he said. “It can mess you up a little bit when you are in it and not in it.”

It was a coping mechanism “to protect myself mentally.”

Johnson needed more than physical rehabilitation to return to the game he has played since he was 7 years old when the Bears activated him for their Black Friday game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

When he went down during the Week 2 game against the Detroit Lions, there was talk that the injury would be season-ending. Johnson admitted those thoughts crept into his mind.

“I ruled myself out as well, coming back this season,” he told reporters Tuesday at Halas Hall. “But God had different plans and God pushed me and told me I’m on his time and not what anyone else says.

“For me, just really buying into that and then doing what I need to do, getting extra work, pushing myself to get back a lot sooner to get stronger a lot faster.”

Johnson watched on TV and saw his teammates work to get better, rattling off a four-game winning streak, then another four-game winning streak.

He said the hard part wasn’t watching from home or pushing through rehab.

“For me, it was more so spiritually,” Johnson said. “I went on a 10-day fruit and water fast, lost 15, 20 pounds. Really just stripped myself in that moment. I was already vulnerable physically, but I would say just also stripping myself spiritually and mentally and pushing myself to get closer to God and be uncomfortable, because throughout this whole process, that’s what I’ve been. …

“Realistically, this surgery is nothing. Just keeping my mind in the right spot, keeping my spirit in the right position, and trending toward God is the biggest thing for me.”

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) tries to engage with Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the second quarter Nov. 28, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Safety Kevin Byard III said he has had conversations with Johnson about fasting and their shared faith.

“I think it’s all about the mental and the physical in alignment,” he said. “This offseason, I actually did a 72-hour water fast. I fasted for three days. I just felt like my spirit called me.”

Added Johnson: “I think it’s a requirement when you have a relationship with God to starve your flesh to build up your spirits.”

Johnson’s journey would challenge most players’ mental fortitude.

He originally suffered the groin injury during offseason training and was placed on the nonfootball injury list July 19. He missed training camp, the preseason and the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson tumbles after covering Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the second quarter Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Johnson was injured again during the second quarter against the Lions and didn’t return. The Bears placed him on injured reserve Sept. 20.

The Bears opened his 21-day practice window Nov. 14, giving him three weeks to get healthy enough to be activated or remain on IR.

Johnson got back in about two weeks when the team activated him and fellow defensive back Kyler Gordon on Thanksgiving, a day before the game in Philadelphia.

“Jaylon is a fighter,” Byard  said. “Got a lot of respect, but I already had a lot of respect for him regardless.

“But to see what he’s been through, coming in training camp with an injury, fighting his way back to get back, coming out of the Detroit game, getting hurt again — you know, that takes a lot of mental fortitude to be able to fight through that injury, the rehab, working his way back and be able to play on Friday night. That was awesome to see.”

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson warms up to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 28, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Added defensive coordinator Dennis Allen: “That’s challenging for any athlete: You have an injury, you push yourself to try to get back and then you suffer a setback and that’s tough both physically and mentally.

“But I think he did a really good job trying to push the rehab, trying to get back as quickly as he can, and it’s our job to make sure we’re smart in terms of what the volume is for him.”

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Against the Eagles, Johnson played 33 snaps — 61% of the defensive plays. He was targeted three times and allowed two receptions. He drew an offensive-pass-interference penalty against top Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown in the second quarter.

“Overall I was pleased with what I saw,” Allen said. “Anytime you don’t really play a lot of football — basically it’s been about a year for both those guys (Johnson and Gordon) haven’t played a ton of football in the last year — there’s a little bit of rust that’s in there.

“But I think they’ll be improved this week.”

The Bears likely will need as many defensive backs as they can muster against the Green Bay Packers deep corps of receivers.

Despite missing all but about a game and a half, the two-time Pro Bower’s opponents passer rating this season, 84.0, is close to last season’s 84.5. His best season was in 2023, when opposing quarterbacks had a 47.8 rating against him.

“He’s got elite cover talent,” Allen said. “He is smart, he’s instinctive, he’s a good cover player. Just gives us another really good football player to put out there on the field.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/chicago-bears-jaylon-johnson-faith/