Getty Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson is making it perfectly clear what he wants for his NFL future: to remain with the Chicago Bears for the long term.
Johnson joined 670 The Score’s ‘Parkins & Spiegel Show’ for his weekly interview on January 8 and told the Chicago co-hosts he expects to sign a contract extension with the Bears during the 2024 offseason despite him having requested a trade back in October.
“I think we get a deal done,” Johnson told 670 The Score on Monday night.
Johnson is the Bears’ biggest-ticket pending free agent for the 2024 offseason and is coming off the first Pro Bowl season of his four-year career. He finished the 2023 season with a career-high four interceptions and earned Pro Football Focus’ highest coverage grade (91.0) among cornerbacks, allowing just 7.8 yards per reception.
And yet, the Bears and Johnson appeared to be heading for a divorce not so long ago. He requested a trade roughly 24 hours before the NFL trade deadline on October 31, eager to explore the market after feeling like talks with the Bears had stalled out. Ultimately, the Bears did not trade him, but it raised questions about whether the two sides could bridge the gap and reach a long-term deal.
“It’s going to get done,” Johnson continued. “We ain’t started [contract negotiations] yet. We barely finished the season yesterday. So I mean, let everything calm down. We still go a Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl, there’s a lot going still [in the NFL] that I feel like there’s some time to maybe go by. But I mean, at the end of the day, we’ll be in contact soon. I think some things will be done, hopefully quicker rather than later. And then we’ll go from there.”
How Much Could Jaylon Johnson Earn on Next Contract?
The Bears have the cap resources to lock down Johnson on a long-term contract with a projected $61 million at their disposal. That is enough to extend Johnson and retain plenty of flexibility for other moves throughout the 2024 offseason.
How much exactly are the Bears willing to shell out to keep Johnson, though?
Spotrac’s calculated market value for Johnson projects him to make about $15.7 million annually on his second NFL contract, which would put him among the current top 10 highest-paid cornerbacks in the league. His 2023 season certainly indicates he is worth that type of money, but there is also a good argument that he is worth more — possibly closer to the top 5 range, between $17 million and $18 million per season.
Then again, Ryan Poles might not want to commit long-term money to the cornerback position after using two second-round picks on the position over the past two drafts. He has also already given big-money deals to other key defenders, including pass rusher Montez Sweat and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Even if he believes Johnson is a high-level player, he may prefer to spread the wealth or make investments elsewhere.
Bears Can Franchise Tag Jaylon Johnson as Last Resort
Let’s say the start of the new league year gets closer and the Bears are no closer to reaching an agreement with Johnson. Should they choose, they always have the option to use the franchise tag on their star cornerback to lock him down for the 2024 season.
Johnson previously indicated he is open to playing on a franchise tag — estimated to be worth about $18.4 million — in 2024 if he is unable to reach a new deal with the Bears. Chicago would likely prefer to avoid that outcome with one of the fixtures of their secondary and instead secure him for the long-term future, but they can break the glass on the tag any time before 4 p.m. Eastern Time on March 5 if a deal appears unlikely.
The problem with the tag, of course, is the Bears could wind up paying even more to secure Johnson’s services in 2025 if he replicates — or exceeds — his 2023 season next year. Johnson did plenty to inflate the value of his second NFL contract during the second half of the 2023 season. If he plays at a similar or greater level in 2024, he could be in the running for top-of-market money when the 2025 offseason rolls around.