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The Chicago Bears have already handed out one monster contract extension this week, while a few others remain in the process of negotiation.
Perhaps the most prominent player still in financial limbo is starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who is entering the fourth and final season of his four-year, $6.5 million rookie deal in 2023. A former second-round selection of the Bears (No. 50 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, Johnson has been an average player, more or less, since entering the league.
Last year, the cornerback earned an overall grade of 62.9 from the advanced analytics website Pro Football Focus (PFF), ranking him 67th out of 118 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position. Johnson’s total score included a reasonable pass-coverage grade of 65.2.
Room for improvement in his game was an element to the contract talks that Johnson openly acknowledged while speaking with media members after a training camp practice session on Friday, July 28.
I’m in a good position. God willing, I can be a Chicago Bear and we figure out a deal and get something done here because that’s what I want to do. But we’ll see what happens at the end of the day.
I still got a lot to earn. I feel like I still got a lot to prove, so it’s not like I’m just this person who’s been first-team All-Pro three years in a row and don’t have a contract. I definitely got some more things to prove, definitely gotta do my part better, and I’m going to come out here each and every day and work. And whatever comes from that, comes from that.
Jaylon Johnson Intends to Play for Bears in 2023 Regardless of Contract Status
GettyCornerback Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears celebrates after his team defeats the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL game in September 2022.
Johnson did not attend some of Chicago’s organized team activities (OTAs) earlier in the offseason, though he said he doesn’t plan on sitting out any of training camp or the regular season in order to secure a new deal. The CB added that he is comfortable entering a contract year without a new contract on the books, if that is how it all happens to shake out.
“Yea, 100%. No question,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to playing. At the end of the day, I feel like we’ve got a really good team, so I’m looking forward to winning. I haven’t had a winning season since I’ve been here. I’m gonna go in with the roster that we got, and we gonna rock out and win some ball games.”
Chicago finished last season with an NFL-worst record of 3-14. Starting at cornerback for the fourth consecutive season in what has become a relatively competitive secondary and tangibly contributing to a leap in on-field success is the best path Johnson has to a big extension at some point over the next 12 months.
He has played in and started 39 of a possible 50 regular season games since joining the Bears’ roster in 2020. Johnson has notched just one interception for his career, though he has registered 125 total tackles, 31 pass breakups and two forced fumbles over that span.
The cornerback surrendered a collective completion percentage of 58.8% on 51 targets last season as well as a career-best collective rating of 94.6 to opposing quarterbacks, per Pro Football Reference.
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Not Jealous, Distracted by Peers Signing Big Deals
GettyCornerback Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears plays during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers in September 2022.
Just two days before Johnson took the podium at Halas Hall, the Bears inked his teammate Cole Kmet to an extension worth $50 million over four years. When asked about that deal for the tight end and what it means for his own situation, the 24-year-old Johnson offered a mature and measured response.
“You just wait your turn,” Johnson said. “Everybody’s situation is different, too. Cole and his situation isn’t necessarily my situation. Whatever my numbers are, [those are] gonna be my numbers. I’m looking forward to [seeing] where it goes.”
A reporter asked Johnson if he expects a contract similar to the recent extension for cornerback Trevon Diggs of the Dallas Cowboys, which totals $97 million over a five-year stretch.
“No, we’re in two different ball games,” Johnson responded candidly. “He’s an All-Pro, 15-17 picks in three years. He’s done some really good things. Hats off to him and congrats to him. I’m definitely happy for him and the cornerback market as well.”
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Jaylon Johnson Sends Candid Message to Bears Amid Stalled Contract Talks