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Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson generated headlines when he said in March that quarterback Caleb Williams “can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building” as a rookie.
During an appearance on Chicago sports radio station 670 The Score, Johnson revealed he reached out to Williams before the Bears made the USC star the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I cleared the air and was like, ‘Hey, that wasn’t what it was supposed to be. I don’t know you,'” Johnson said, per the Audacy website and Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “He hit me and was like, ‘Hey, I’m a winner, I just want to win.’ We had that conversation. I’m like, it’s all good.”
Johnson insisted while speaking on 670 The Score’s “Parkins & Spiegel Show” that the original conversation about Williams on the FanDuel TV “Up & Adams” program “was taken completely the wrong way.” Regardless of what Johnson did or didn’t mean at that time, Bears general manager Ryan Poles interestingly referenced Williams’ alleged “Hollywood” reputation as recently as last week.
“She kept using the word ‘Hollywood,'” Johnson said about FanDuel TV personality Kay Adams. “I never said, ‘He’s Hollywood, he’s this and that.’ I don’t know the dude. As far as I know, Heisman winner, elite dude from Oklahoma who transferred to USC that slings the ball. So when she’s talking about ‘Hollywood, Hollywood,’ I’m like, ‘Well, if he comes in here being Hollywood, we’re going to see through that.'”
In the weeks leading up to Chicago drafting Williams first overall, some analysts, scouts, executives and coaches voiced concerns related to his personality and his supposed off-the-field interests. Poles noted last Tuesday that Williams made a positive impression during a predraft visit that included the rookie having dinner with some veteran Bears players.
“I can’t wait to build a relationship,” Johnson added about Williams.
What’s done is done, and everyone inside the Bears’ locker room will need to put such potential distractions behind them as they attempt to help Williams become an immediate winner at the highest level. As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Williams as the betting favorite at +200 odds to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for the upcoming season.