Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus surprises Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat with Pro Bowl honors

LAKE FOREST – Jaylon Johnson knew something was up.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus asked Johnson to join him for an early exit interview. Eberflus said he wanted to watch some tape with the fourth-year pro cornerback. Johnson knows that Eberflus is a man of routines, and this was definitely not normal routine.

“I’m like, it’s too late in the year for us to try and do different things,” Johnson said.

Then the coach asked Johnson to bring his family, and he knew this wasn’t an ordinary meeting. Eberflus surprised Johnson by informing him that he had been selected to the Pro Bowl. Eberflus had a similar surprise meeting with defensive end Montez Sweat. He told Sweat he had some ideas for getting around chip blocks.

“I was really looking forward to see how he was going to get the chips off me and stuff like that,” Sweat said.

The Bears posted videos from these surprise meetings on social media. Both players shared hugs with Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles after learning of their spots in the Pro Bowl.

The NFL’s version of the all-star game is voted on by a combination of fans, players and coaches. Johnson and Sweat will be the two players representing the Bears. The Pro Bowl Games, as they have been rebranded, now include skill competitions and a flag football game. This year’s version will be Feb. 4 in Orlando.

Johnson and Sweat became the Bears’ first Pro Bowlers in two years after nobody earned a Pro Bowl spot during a 3-14 season in 2022.

“[It’s] something that every player aspires to get,” Sweat said. “I’ve been working a long time to get to this point where I am, and I’m still not satisfied.”

For both players, this marks their first Pro Bowl appearances.

Johnson has been vocal about wanting to add the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors to his resume. Now he has one of those. In 14 games, Johnson has four interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), 10 passes defended, one forced fumble, one tackle for loss and 36 combined tackles. Johnson had only one career interception during his three seasons before 2023.

For Johnson, it couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and could be due for a major raise in the offseason.

“God’s been doing his thing this year, for sure,” Johnson said. “I’ve always wanted some things to go a little differently, but I think everything has worked out perfectly this year, and hopefully I got one more award left in me, and I think that is very tangible, and I believe it’s on its way.”

After the trade deadline, Johnson made it clear that All-Pro was the award he really wanted.

For Sweat, this honor comes after succeeding for not one, but two teams this season. The Bears traded for Sweat at the Oct. 31 trade deadline, sending a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Commanders.

In 16 games (eight for Washington and eight for Chicago), Sweat has totaled a career-high 12.5 sacks. This marks his first season in double digits. His previous career high was nine sacks in 2020. This season, he also totaled 13 tackles for loss, 25 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, four passes defended and 54 combined tackles.

“Him just coming in bringing a different energy, [it’s] kind of indescribable,” Johnson said of Sweat. “We didn’t necessarily know that we needed it until he came, and it’s like, yeah, this is kind of somebody that we needed.”

[Sweat] just coming in bringing a different energy, [it’s] kind of indescribable. We didn’t necessarily know that we needed it until he came and it’s like, yeah, this is kind of somebody that we needed.”

—  Jaylon Johnson, Bears cornerback

Linebacker TJ Edwards might’ve been the biggest snub for the Bears’ defense. Edwards ranks third in the NFC in combined tackles with 143. He also has three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, seven passes defended, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

But instead, San Francisco’s Fred Warner and Seattle’s Bobby Wagner earned Pro Bowl honors for the NFC at inside linebacker.

“I’ll say this, if I had to go into a game, I would pick TJ,” Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi said. “I’d pick our two guys. I think we have two of the better linebackers in the league. TJ has put up really good numbers, although I’ll say this, it’s a competitive league, and there’s a lot of good linebackers.”

Offensively, another potential snub was receiver DJ Moore. Moore ranks seventh in the NFL with 1,300 receiving yards, to go along with eight touchdown catches (and a rushing touchdown). It was a crowded NFC ballot at receiver. Five of the six receivers ahead of him in receiving yards play in the NFC.