In addition to high-caliber athleticism and Pro Bowl instincts, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon 𒅌Johnson was given ♛the gift of gab.
Unfortunately, that gift comes with a curse.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud came up to Johnson *DURING THE GAME* and told the shutdown corner that while chopping it up on Richard Sherman’s podcast. It appeared to have blown Jaylon Johnson’s mind in the moment. And I am also stunned.
Check this out:
"Stop telling your secrets on 's podcast dude" 😂
See why 's interview made 's film study:
(via ) — The Volume (@TheVolumeSports)
On Richard Sherman’s podcast, Jaylon Johnson broke down an interception that he had in the Bears’ win against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in 2023. Johnson told Sherman he could tell what routes wide receivers were running based on the offensive formation Minnesota was running. Given his film study, Jaylon was able to see the formation, jump the route, and snag an interception. It is truly mind-bending stuff when a cornerback can anticipate a route combo based on how an offense lines up. That is next-level stuff.
🐟Then again, so is C.J. Stroud using that podcast quote to his advantage.
Did C.J. Stroud just teach Jaylon Johnson an important lesson?
The good news is that we live in an era in which we have so much access to information. I love it. The constant exchange of information and ideas helps fuel my soul in ways that I didn’t know were possible. But when is too much of a good thing a bad thing? As it turns out, the answer to that question is when your opponent can use it to your disadvantage — which is precisely what C.J. Stroud did. I tip my cap to Stroud, who took film study to brand new heights by extracting something an opponent said on a podcast and leveraging that into something he can use on game day.
Moving forward, there is a part of me that thinks Jaylon Johnson would be wise to choose his words more carefully next time he makes an appearance like the one with Richard Sherman. However, there is a part of me that doesn’t want Johnson to do that and instead would prefer he keeps doing his thing. The best cornerbacks in football have an unmatched bravado and a short memory. Johnson has both. Plus, I appreciate Jaylon providing a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes through his mind on plays. Stuff like that makes us smarter fans. Don’t take that away from us!
So, yeah, C.J. Stroud was able to use some podcast conversation to his advantage. I wouldn’t bet on the next quarterback being that fortunate.
