Getty Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson could be a trade chip at the 2023 NFL trade deadline.
The Chicago Bears are already doing their due diligence to determine the trade market for two of their top defensive starters — Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson — in case they become sellers at the NFL trade deadline this month.
According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the Bears are currently floating both Jackson and Johnson in trade conversations to “garner interest” and figure out “what the appetite is for veteran defensive backs” ahead of the trade deadline on October 31.
“From what I have been told checking around the league right now, they are gauging interest on what the appetite is for those two players I mentioned specifically [Jackson and Johnson],” Cronin said during her October 12 guest appearance on ‘The Chicago Bears Podcast’ on ESPN Chicago. “Now, it’s not necessarily Ryan Poles picking up the phone on every single one of these calls, but it’s the front office doing its due diligence to set itself up for whether they’re buyers or sellers at the deadline.”
The Bears (1-4) have entered a crucial three-week period where the results of their next three games — Week 6 vs. Minnesota, Week 7 vs. Las Vegas and Week 7 at the Los Angeles Chargers — could determine how quickly they shift focus to the 2024 season.
If the Bears win all three games, general manager Ryan Poles might be content with his streaking .500 football team and want to see how far they can push it after an 0-4 start. Two or more losses, however, could force them to consider which players are not in their future plans and could net them a meaningful trade return at the deadline.
Bears May Not Have Jackson or Johnson in 2024 Plans
Cronin’s report that Jackson and Johnson have been floated as trade chips is not that surprising given the uncertainty with both beyond the 2023 season.
Johnson, 24, is the Bears’ top pending free agent on the defensive side of the ball and has expressed interest in signing an extension to remain in Chicago for the long term, but his strong coverage skills have not translated to the turnover production of a No. 1 cornerback with just one interception over 42 career games.
The Bears have also drafted three cornerbacks — Kyler Gordon (2022, No. 39 overall), Tyrique Stevenson (2023, No. 56) and Terell Smith (2023, No. 165) — over the first two years of Poles’ front-office regime and may want to see how the three of them can fare without Johnson in the fold to get a better sense of their strength at the position.
Meanwhile, Jackson will turn 30 in December and see his salary-cap hit leap to $18.14 million during the 2024 season. That might be stomachable if he had sustained his Pro Bowl caliber of play from the first 12 games of the 2022 season, but he missed the final five games with a broken foot and has missed three consecutive games in 2023 with an injury to the same foot.
Even if Jackson returns in Week 6 and stabilizes, the Bears have both financial and availability reasons to consider moving on from him before the 2024 season.
Could Bears Also Shop Darnell Mooney in a Trade?
Cronin also suggested that fourth-year wide receiver Darnell Mooney could be a player the Bears consider trading if they decide to become sellers at the deadline this month.
Like Johnson, Mooney is a pending free agent who is waiting for the Bears to make a decision about his future. A year ago, he was coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2021 and looked like an easy “yes” in terms of an extension, but the Bears have since gone out and acquired D.J. Moore as the new No. 1 fixture of their receiving corps. They also added Tyler Scott, a similarly-built player, in the fourth round of the 2023 draft.
Mooney still has a chance to be the No. 2 receiver of the offense, but he might need stronger play over the next few games to solidify that role. He has just eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown through five games, most of which came in the opener. If defenses start creating better plans to take away Moore, Mooney will have opportunities to bounce back. If he stays quiet, though, it won’t help his chances of sticking around.
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