Coming off a breakout season that saw Chicago cornerback Jaylon Johnson intercept four passes and record 10 pass breakups en route to earning his first Pro Bowl nod, the Bears and their 24-year-old defensive star came to terms on a four-year, $76 million contract extension that includes $54 million in guaranteed cash. Speaking in front of Bears organization members as well as family and friends at a press conference about the extension, Johnson revealed that he was tackling a very personal problem away from the field during his breakout season in Chicago. Johnson, who graded out as the top cornerback in the league last season according to Pro Football Focus, is in the process of recovering from sex addiction.
“I went to therapy last season for sexual addiction,” he said at the press conference. “That was the hardest thing for me to open up to my therapist about, as that is something nobody knew about. As I’m shining on the field on Sundays, I’m battling myself to grow throughout the week, and in that growth, God blessed me with the best season of my life, so I know that God is with me, and He deserves all the honor and glory for where I am today.”
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Rachel Uchitel is SeekingArrangement’s new ambassadorJohnson is a 2020 second-round pick who has started all 53 games he’s played over his four seasons with the Bears. He chose to open up about his personal struggles during his time in the spotlight in order to encourage others who are suffering with sex addiction to seek treatment.
“It’s bigger than me,” he said. “For one, it’s because I know I’m not the only one going through it. Two, it’s OK to go through stuff. It’s OK to not be perfect and I feel like people put us literally on this pedestal to get up here and talk and [think], ‘Oh well, guys are this, guys are that.’ Like man, we are human too. We go through things. Everybody goes through things. I feel like people feel like you’ve got to put a mask on, you’ve got to cover it up. Like naw, it’s OK to go through things. It’s OK to seek help. It’s OK to be vulnerable.”
In other Bears-related news that also borders on unsavory, the team is planning to build a domed lakefront venue immediately south of Soldier Field to serve as their new home stadium. In addition to keeping fans nice and cozy during winter, the domed stadium will allow the team to host major events throughout the year.
“The Chicago Bears are proud to contribute more than $2 billion to build a stadium and improve open spaces for all families, fans and the general public to enjoy in the City of Chicago,” the team said in a statement to Sportico. “The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue. We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”
The logic for a domed stadium in Chicago is sound, but we’re not looking forward to watching the Bears, who’ve existed for more than a century, play their home games indoors.
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