Can the Bears unlock a new level out of Jaylon Johnson?

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1:01Hey, all right, almost here. Are you ready? Just grabbing my shoes. That's what you said 10 minutes ago. I just wrapped a video call, uploading this giant file on my tablet, looking at my watch group and Nana's with the group chat, and of course, still lining up tonight's playlist on my phone. All at once? Yep, story of my life. That's why I switched to T-Mobile. They have the fastest 5G network. Okay, multitasker. I see you. Honestly, I never imagined I could do all this at once. It's awesome. Say no more, I'm totally switching. My post is taking way too long to upload. That's a sign you've got to get T-Mobile. So many reasons to join T-Mobile. Find yours at T-Mobile.com. Fastest based on analysis by Uglospeed Distant Intelligence data of national speed score results in cooperating 5G download and upload speeds for the first half of 2026.

2:01Rahimi and Grody appreciate all the flowery comments there. Mid-days 10 a.m. to 2 on the score. Score, score, score. Third is nine. Big play. Sanders with time to the sideline. Tough throw for Judy and Judy has an intercepted. It's picked up by Jalen Johnson. Judy had it near his hands and Johnson took it away. Yeah, love hearing that kind of stuff from Jalen Johnson. As we welcome you back to Rahimi and Grody on 1043. The score we are broadcasting live from Cody's public house in Lakeview. It has just been a delightful day out here. You know it's a good show and a fun show and a perfect place to be when the show goes fast. All of a sudden I look up and it's 129. What is going on here, Laila? Yeah, no, the time went quickly. When you've got friends and patios and sports and dogs and pizza and popcorn and bears are fun. And bears. Yeah, we've given out bears very controversial. Boy, I, apparently I've really stepped in it

3:03by giving out the bears that I gave to Micah Parsons. I've had bears taken away from me. I've had people saying that he doesn't deserve any bears, that he deserves only a half a bear. Are you ready to protect me, Ray? Looks like you're ready to defend. Yeah, people need to understand the bit. These guys don't want, these guys don't want bears to be stowed upon them and Grody's forcing it, forcing it on them. I don't know guys. I think Micah Parsons happens to be a packer, but he seems to like Chicago and Caleb Williams way too much to make it stick. That's the part, that's the part about him. What's his contract with Green Bay? Is he like locked in like that thing here? Well, he just got extended for a million years. Okay, so it's not because you know, I was kind of holding that whole plec, he seems to enjoy our city. Might he might he want to play in our city at some point in time if he's ready to move on from Green Bay. Can we get him out of his contract? It's only four years and 186 million. So I was thinking about the monetary piece more than the years piece. Well, okay, okay. But he did get extended. Very controversial. How many bears is the most controversial segment this score has ever had? Yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't can't do it at all.

4:06It definitely was how many bears? Wasn't who you crap in? It wasn't it wasn't for for that you suck or vigorously inhale. It was none of that. But man, like Jalen Johnson has really gained steam in this camp because there's been this perfect progression. He showed up to the voluntary mini camps. He was there when in the past, he hadn't necessarily been there. And that's his choice. That's fine. Like players should not be criticized, especially veterans, not showing up to the voluntary mini camp. But it sure was a sign that he was there early this year. And in the days this year when I was actually walking around on the North Shore at bears headquarters and seeing Jalen Johnson out there and showing that he wants to be part of this. He showed last year that he wanted to be part of this, came back recovered from his injury, his myriad injuries got out there, did not look like himself, even though he had that interception right there. But we've been talking about Jalen Johnson.

5:07And if Leila, he is back to some semblance of himself and we get to maybe the next level he could go to. Like that's an immediate improvement to a defense that we are desperate and searching for ways to be better. It is, but I also think it's a valid one. You were talking about the second longest tenured bear only to Colcomat. And the reason why Colcomat was longer tenured is because he was seven picks prior to Jalen Johnson. Right. It is a good thing that Ben Johnson who hasn't had the most extensive relationship with Jalen Johnson thinks that there's possibly another level to unlock out of him. This is a guy who was second team all pro in his career year of 2023. And that's what Matt Eberfluse didn't take him seriously. By the way, if you recall that, remember when he first got here, Eberfluse and he's practicing with the third team all the field. I was there. Jalen Johnson's two time pro-buller and then add to that his college resume where he was two time first team all pack 12. This is a guy who we know at one point was considered

6:09among the top few corner backs in the league. Five or six. And you heard Danny Park and say it earlier that Danny also thinks that if Jalen Johnson is back to form, what a difference, especially in this secondary that can make or remarkable difference from what we saw when we know Dennis Allen's defense is so secondary dependent. Right. And while we're at it, the Tyreex Stevens might be poised to have an excellent year this year, even after the weirdness of his playing time last year. But let's get to Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson earlier in the week shared his observations of Jalen Johnson looking like his old self during training camp. I think he's one of those guys that ended camp and really strong. And you know, you can say it was five, five and a half weeks whatever it was, that second half of camp. You could feel his presence more. He's always been really cerebral. And you know, he's a smart player. He's smart in the building and the meeting rooms as well. Very deliberate with what he does.

7:10Has a lot of intent with what he does. And yet I could feel a fire lit under him. I don't know what it was, but you could feel it really ignite their back half of the training camp. I think he's been really strong. I don't know if it's a confidence level. I don't know. You'd have to ask him if that's the case. But from my perspective, I think we've got a player that has a chance to be playing his best football this year. McJalen Johnson has always been an incredibly confident player. We know that from when his appearances on the afternoon show, there is nobody more confident than he is. But something happened along the way. And that was an injury which slowed him down and quite frankly, made him look like an average player last year. We saw the games. We saw him get exposed. I remember going into the locker room after all those games that he did play in once he came back. And we'd gather around his locker. And he would just be like, fellas, I am still hurt. I know I'm not the same player right now. And it scared me. I remember saying out loud on the microphones.

8:11Like, if we're getting a glimpse of what Jalen Johnson is now, that scares the hell out of me. But if he can go to this next level and to get the endorsement from Ben Johnson, we know how big that is because he wasn't getting the endorsement from him before because it was like the old, it wasn't Kyler Gordon level, but it was out of sight, out of mind. I don't really know this player that well yet because he was hurt. Yeah, it was not Kyler Gordon level. But at the same time, Ben Johnson doesn't bestow false praise. And that's why I take this so seriously. He had, he didn't have to do this. He didn't have to put Jalen Johnson on that pedestal. He knows that he's in the later part of his career relative to what most NFL corners careers are. And he still said it. And that's why I'm so encouraged. And then to hear Jalen Johnson mirror that. I think about the meme you see all the time. Remember when you wished for the exact situation you're in. Remember when you actually got what you wished for? And that's Jalen Johnson right now.

9:11He wanted this. He wanted a coach to push him. He was vocal about that. He and Cole come at both were. And I think it's important to note that it might be working for him. What if he wanted something like this, and instead of being criticized or put under the microscope appropriately. So we also what we saw on tape last year. That he's the guy we thought he was. And this could turn out really well. No doubt. And to your point about maybe Jalen Johnson finally having the dream coach. And I could tell you stuff about his relationship with Matt Eberfluss. But Jalen Johnson also met with the media earlier in the week. And shared a conversation. You got to hear this. He had a conversation he and Ben Johnson had with each other. I love this. We had a talk. And I would say of my years being here. I've never had a talk of a coach saying we got a chance to win the Super Bowl. So I think when he said that, it put some things in perspective for me. And we have the opportunity to do something special.

10:13So I think for me it just sparked a different level of my competitive nature that I haven't had since I've been here. So you're just going out there and competing. And then one of the guys would be better. And then just holding us to a different standard, a higher standard. And then really it's going for me. If you're the type of person who wants data, not assumptions, pre-new Vogue's whole body scan gives you a deep understanding of your health. Screen for over 500 conditions, including many cancers, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. Add blood panels to test over 80 biomarkers. And you've got information about your body you may never have had before. Book your scan at pre-newvo.com. That's P-R-E-N-U-V-O.com. The ocean delights us. Some marvel at the colorful world below the surface. The ocean feeds us. Others find nourishment and it's bounty. The ocean teaches us how our everyday choices impact even the deepest places.

11:14The ocean moves us. Whether we're riding a wave or soaking in, it's breathtaking beauty. The ocean connects us. Find your connection at monoraybeacquarium.org slash connects. Hey, our ride's almost here. Are you ready? Just grabbing my shoes. That's what you said 10 minutes ago. I just wrapped a video call, uploading this giant file on my tablet, looking at my watch goop and Nana's with the group chat. And of course, still lining up tonight's playlist on my phone. All at once? Yep, story of my life. That's why I switched to D-Mobile. They have the fastest 5G network. Okay, multi-tasker. I see you. Honestly, I never imagined I could do all this at once. It's awesome. Say no more, I'm totally switching. My post is taking way too long to upload. That's a sign you've got to get to mobile. So many reasons to join T-Mobile. Find yours at T-Mobile.com.

12:14Fastest based on analysis by UglospeedTest Intelligence, data of national speed score results incorporating 5G download and upload speeds for the first half of 2026. It's always been looking for. When looking for that guy, when I talk about Jalen Johnson and the previous regime, the Fateful Game in Detroit, the eve of Matt Eberfluss' firing in that crazy Detroit game where the culture was mismanaged and timeouts were mismanaged, like walking into that locker room, like and hearing things outside of that locker room and trying to figure out, like we're all as reporters outside of the locker, I'm trying to figure out going through our phones, watching replays, we can try to figure out what the bears were doing as you walked in, I swear to God there was smoke coming out of that locker room. And you kind of just looked around and there's players just waiting at their lockers to talk some on the record, some off the record about what had happened and what Jalen Johnson

13:17was so pissed off about was that Matt Eberfluss again up there saying it's all good, no problem, nothing to see here. I thought a plan was good. Yeah, thought the plan was good, nothing to see here. It's not my fault, that's for sure. And so to juxtapose that, that lack of responsibility that Matt Eberfluss had had with this Ben Johnson, you can see why this is so revelatory for Jalen Johnson. I haven't talked to anybody about any of those things. I haven't talked to anybody about any of those things. I'm still laughing at the, I forget what the exact quote was, it's one of my 250 tabs open on my phone so I can just look at it anytime. I just, I don't care how much memory I use at a given time. I don't care if my phone moves slow. I need that to be constant and permanent in my browser. Fluss? Yeah. Wow. Yeah, I can carry Fluss with me permanently. I had a lot of trouble. Those are the receipts that I am willing to keep for you. Rahimi's receipts are back. So they, well, they never left.

14:17They just, you know, they got into a whole last show. That's what happened. But getting back to all of this though is just that there could be another level to Jalen Johnson. And you're right that he, I had conversations with him about about what he was going through and about how dumbfounded it times the players were with what was going on. And for all the, the, the crap we get for being media members on the flip side, we also know what you're going through when you tell us about it. You know, there's also that side of it too, where we see what you're seeing. You're not alone. Oh, yeah. Where those, one of those rare moments where there can be bonding between media and players, like being in that locker room. Like, you're an advocate for players at times. Absolutely. Right. And that's not our jobs. But I just remember going player to player like Marcelli Lewis and Kevin Byard. And I'm talking about the on the record stuff. Just waiting to talk. Go ahead, ask questions. Okay. I will.

15:18And then also, you know, a part of this that we haven't gotten into with this discussion about Jalen Johnson is how he's being called a leader on a defense. I don't know that we, we've seen necessarily people stand up and say, I'm the leader. TJ Edwards just is. You know, if I'm looking for the most professional way to handle something, TJ Edwards is genuinely not fakely that guy. You know, I, I suggested that Tyrick Stevenson after the fail marry by, by, I think it was, it wasn't Shaw's. It should be Shaw's or Joe's. It was Joe's taking stone crap for the entire locker room. And then TJ, TJ turned down the lobster mac and cheese and that was his fault. But the point was he still protected his teammate in that moment and handled it. And now we're hearing Jalen Johnson doing the same thing. Yeah. That when Jalen Johnson's like, I don't know guys, I'm not ready to get excited yet. That's not seen as negativity. That scene is him being a leader and holding his team to a standard. Yeah. And that's not something he wants to out his career. It's like everybody matures, man. Like he's always been a great player. Now he's adding the leadership role to that as well. Before Chicago takes down Carolina, tune in Sunday morning from 9 to noon for your

16:21local Ford dealers pregame show right here on 104 three, the score all in cruts Patrick Manley and I will get you set for the game. Who's that again? Who's that again? I guess that's Mark Rody. So you're hosting the Bears pre-imposed game show. I am doing that this week anyway. That I will be doing I will be doing sporadically intermittently. I will be getting the opportunity to work with cruts and Manley. It's going to be black. I can't wait. Honestly, man, I can't wait to see what those guys are thinking. Can't wait to do the post game show because immediately following the game, we will have instant reaction on the timber tech decking and railing post game show presented by the Roman automotive group. This week's post game show can be seen exclusively on YouTube and Twitch. Well, I'm coming for you, Croutcy. I'm coming for you. I can't wait for this. I miss only not our airways. Oh, seriously, both of them cannot wait to see you guys. DK Metcalf, your guy, you brought this up.

17:23You alluded to this yesterday. But apparently DK Metcalf has a wild ant-artica conspiracy theory that we need to discuss. Did I do that justice? Listen, all of us have them. It's just about whether or not you want to admit to them. This one, it's pretty out there, even for the internet, as they like to say on the off. It's next on Rahimi and Grody live from Cody's public house in Lakeview, come see us on 1043. The score. The ocean moves us, whether that's surfing a wave or taking in an inspiring view. The ocean feeds us. Sustainable seafood practices bring the ocean's bounty to our plates. The ocean teaches us. How are everyday choices? Big and small make an impact. The ocean delights us as playful otters restore coastal kelp forests. The ocean connects us. Join your connection at monoraybeacquarium.org slash connects. What if the thing you're listening to right now never got interrupted?

18:27What if it could play uninterrupted from room to room on sonos? What if you start with two sonos speakers just to see how it feels? What if you really like how it feels and you become a sonos person who can't stop saying to their friends? What if you start with two sonos speakers just to see how it feels? Because it's not magic. But it's not not magic. Hey, all right, it's almost here. Are you ready? Just grabbing my shoes. That's what you said 10 minutes ago. I just wrapped a video call, uploading this giant file on my tablet, looking at my watch gopananas with the group chat, and of course still lining up tonight's playlist on my phone. All at once? Yep, story of my life. That's why I switched to T-Mobile. They have the fastest 5G network. Okay, multitasker. I see you. Honestly, I never imagined I could do all this at once. It's awesome. Say no more, I'm totally switching. My post is taking way too long to upload.

19:28That's a sign you've got to get T-Mobile. So many reasons to join T-Mobile. Find yours at T-Mobile.com. Fastest based on analysis by Uglos Speed Test Intelligence, the data of national speed score results in incorporating 5G download and upload speeds for the first half of 2026. Hi, I'm Mike Sullivan, L.A. Carguide. You know that L.A. Carguide.com is the fastest way to view our entire inventory in one place. But we've made shopping online even better with our new L.A. Carguide Express Store. Find the perfect car with the options you want or even shop by payment. Continue as the L.A. Carguide Express Store to appraise your trade-in and finalize your deal online. Save time on your next vehicle purchase at any of our dealerships by starting your deal online at L.A. Carguide.com. Presented by T-Mobile, the official wireless partner of Odyssey Sports. With an awesome network and great savings, there's never been a better time to join T-Mobile.

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