Jaylon Johnson Comment Disputed

The Bears aren't sure what Jaylon Johnson was talking about when he said some players were "tanking it."

Jaylon Johnson's description of a Bears locker room with some quitters in it met at least publicly with both denial and general disinterest Friday at Halas Hall.

The denials came from both defensive coordinator Sean Desai and safety Tashaun Gipson, who have both been around the NFL long enough to know it when they see it—unlike Johnson—or to know enough not to point fingers if there is some.

The disinterest came from Desai and for good reason. When the team has 13 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, numerous players are injured and the Minnesota Vikings are coming to town with a high-scoring offense, who has the time to worry about inane mumbling on a podcast?

"No, I'm not aware of a podcast," Desai said. "But … no, I have not (seen quitters). I think you saw in that (Packers) game our guys are competitors and I think they're going to fight and claw for everything that they've got, and it's our job as coaches to make sure they're in the best positions and they know their techniques and fundamentals to be able to go execute."

On the Barstool Sports podcast, Johnson had said he saw signs some Bears were "tanking it."

"I mean you have a little bit of both," Johnson said. "You have the side of the locker room that is starting to go into the tank and you have the guys that are still trying to fight and figure out how we can get better."

Safety Tashaun Gipson has in the past described some tough situations he faced with losing Cleveland Browns teams when the team gave up, and insisted he sees nothing like this in the Bears locker room.

"Four games is a lot of football," Gipson said. "No quit. No need for that. We have no time for that obviously, man."

Gipson acknowledged it's the job of veterans to make certain there is none from younger players.

"You just try to pick their brains and let them know there's a lot of football left to be played," Gipson said. "Four games can change the course of someone's life. Honestly, you got out there you have four games that can switch an OK season to a great season and end on a high note. 

"It's not always how you start, it's how you finish. We all know that."

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