“When (it happened), I felt that I knew I was going to be out some time because the amount of pain that I had and just the feeling that I had,” Johnson recounted. “I knew it was going to be out. But I think for me, it was just like in that moment, just letting God work through me and around me in whatever way it looked like, whatever he was protecting me from, or preparing me for, I was taking it head-on.”
Instead of preparing for the season with his teammates, the two-time Pro Bowl corner was disarmed by his injury and forced to spend camp and the preseason in the training room. The challenging period wasn’t what he wanted, but provided him with proof he can endure struggles.
“It has definitely been a journey,” Johnson said. “It has been frustrating, going in the training room to the weight room, back to the training room for six, seven, eight weeks now. So, I mean, for me, it’s just a mental test, but I’m coming out better.”
Chicago is embarking on a season defined by cautious optimism. While the focus will largely be trained on new head coach Ben Johnson and his impact on the team’s offense, it will be up to key defenders like Johnson to provide consistently excellent play on the defensive side of the ball.
The Bears might take the field shorthanded in Week 1. Fortunately, they’ve spent the summer preparing without Johnson, so they won’t be caught by surprise. And as Johnson explained Tuesday, he’ll be back soon.