Bears' Jaylon Johnson clears the air on his 'Hollywood' comment about Caleb Williams, and the two are 'all good'

(670 The Score) Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on Monday provided context to a comment that some interpreted as criticism of new Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams during the pre-draft process.

In an appearance on Up & Adams on FanDuel TV in March, Johnson made a reference to young players needing to be “humble” when entering the league and added, “You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially with guys who played this game at a high level for consecutive years in the league.”

On the Parkins & Spiegel Show, Johnson explained that the host was the one who framed the question that way and that he interpreted it as a hypothetical.
So he shared how he would respond in that type of situation. Johnson didn’t mean for it to come off as him believing that Williams was going to be a high-maintenance teammate, and he spoke to Williams to explain that even before the Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft on Thursday evening.

“That conversation was taken completely the wrong way,” Johnson said. “People, to me, just wanted click-bait and didn’t even take into consideration the whole context of the damn conversation. Because when we were talking, she had brought up, ‘Oh, how do you feel about Caleb Williams if he comes and you guys draft him? He’s like Hollywood, how do you think the Hollywood will come into the locker room?’ She kept using the word ‘Hollywood.’ I never said, ‘He’s Hollywood, he’s this and that.’ I don’t know the dude. As far as I know, Heisman winner, elite dude from Oklahoma who transferred to USC that slings the ball. I mean, that’s all I know of the kid. So when she’s talking about ‘Hollywood, Hollywood,’ I’m like, ‘Well, if he comes in here being Hollywood, we’re going to see through that.’”

Johnson and Williams shared text exchanges and also spoke briefly in the aftermath of that.

“I cleared the air and was like, ‘Hey, that wasn’t what it was supposed to be, I don’t know you,’” Johnson said. “He hit me and was like, ‘Hey, I’m a winner, I just want to win.’

“We had that conversation. I’m like it’s all good. Then I talked a little trash about Utah and USC, and it was all good.”

Johnson also texted Williams to congratulate him after the Bears drafted him.

“I can’t wait to build a relationship,” Johnson said.