Just Like Old Times for Jaylon Johnson

It's not quite Wile E. Coyote pursuing the Roadrunner.

Jaylon Johnson wasn't using Acme Dynamite or anything, but he was pursuing Davante Adams all over the football field in 2021.

It got to be a thing for him and it seems like he missed it a bit last year when Adams got traded to the Raiders.

Johnson is hoping for a rematch Sunday at Soldier Field.

"I think I've been saying this since, what is this '23? I've been saying this for three years now," Johnson said. "They know. You (media) guys know. Davante knows. Those are the matchups I want.

"At the end of the day that's nothing that has changed."

It began when Johnson was regarded as good enough to cover opponents' best receiver.

"I got put into that my second year into the league so it's definitely not changing my fourth year into the league," Johnson said. "I want any and every big matchup I can get.

"So they know what I want and at the end of the day it's not truthfully about what I want. So I mean if that's something that they feel is in the best interest of the team, in the best interest of the defense, I'm going to go out there and continue to do what I do and play at a high level no matter who is in front of me. And if they have me follow, they don't, I mean, it doesn't change for me. But I'm definitely looking forward to that matchup and if I can follow him around it's even better."

The Bears actually did better limiting Adams in 2020 when Johnson was a rookie and they weren't letting him follow the Packers receiver all over the field. Adams had six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown and six catches for 46 yards and a touchdown in those 2020 games. He did face Adams then, just not as a shadow all over the field.

In 2021 the put Johnson on Adams all over the field. Adams had four for 89 yards in the "I still Own You" game. In the final game before he was traded, Adams had 10 catches in 13 targets for 121 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay.

Then the trade came and Adams when to Las Vegas in 2022.

Johnson thinks he might have earned Adams' respect.

"I wouldn't say a rapport," he said. "I think it's a mutual respect, of course, and I think for me to following him around the league, it hasn't been too many people that I felt like I competed against him the way that I have throughout the previous year. I know there’s mutural respect there.

"So I mean just always loved his game especially coming out of college. He’s somebody that I asked for and ended up getting when he was in Green Bay. So I definitely love his game. I love the way he goes about his business. Definitely have a lot of respect for him."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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