Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles has granted permission for cornerback Jaylon Johnson to seek a trade.
The Chicago Bears could be getting rid of another contract-seeking defensive starter for a second straight season at the NFL trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears have granted permission for cornerback Jaylon Johnson to seek a trade before Tuesday’s league trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET. The 24-year-old asked to be traded after he and his agent met with the team to negotiate a new contract last week and could not come close to a long-term agreement.
“#Bears corner Jaylon Johnson has requested a trade, per source,” Fowler wrote on X (Twitter) shortly after midnight on October 31. “Chicago granted permission to search for a new home before today’s deadline. The player and team negotiated a new contract last week but couldn’t come to a deal. So, a talented corner is now available.”
Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Bears and had previously expressed an interest in remaining in Chicago. He admitted last week, though, that extension talks have progressed “slower” than he had hoped and that he expects a resolution — one way or another — before October 31’s deadline.
“We’re going to see by the end of this weekend,” Johnson said last Thursday, via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago. “If I happen to get traded, then I get traded. If not, then I get extended, hopefully, and if not, then I’ve just got to continue to play. There’s plenty of [ways] that this can go in, but we’re all going to see. I’m waiting to see as well.”
Jaylon Johnson Seeking ‘Security’ With Next Contract
Johnson has gotten off to a stellar start in his fourth season with the Bears. Through six games, he has allowed the NFL’s second-lowest passer rating (37.3) among cornerbacks who have played at least half of their team’s defensive snaps. He also notched a pair of interceptions in Week 7’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Nos. 2 and 3 of his career.
In his pursuit of a new contract, though, Johnson said he wants just one thing.
“Security,” Johnson said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “That’s what all this is. That’s what we play the game for, security. At the end of the day, a lot of it goes back to respect as well. At the end of the day, it’s not just about taking anything as well. You can throw some numbers at somebody and just hope they take anything, but that’s not what I’m looking to do. I’m looking for respect and security at the end of the day.”
The Bears have the financial means to give Johnson security with a projected $110 million in cap space for the 2024 season. The question is: How much is the 24-year-old worth to a front office that has drafted three cornerbacks in the last two offseason?
General manager Ryan Poles used the first pick of his tenure (No. 39) on Kyler Gordon in the 2022 draft and double-dipped in the position with Tyrique Stevenson (No. 56) and Terell Smith (No. 165) in 2023. The Bears even traded up to get Stevenson in the second round, begging the question of whether they want to extend Johnson at all.
Cowboys Among Teams Showing Interest in Johnson
The Bears might not trade Johnson before Tuesday’s deadline. Johnson has permission to speak with potential suitors, but he is likely looking for a new team that would sign him to a long-term contract extension. With less than 24 hours until the deadline, there is little time to work out the specific parameters of a trade-and-extend deal.
The Bears also have no real incentive to trade Johnson unless the price is right for them. Sure, it would be better for them to get a pick or two now from a desperate team than to play the compensatory pick formula for 2025, but not trading Johnson leaves the door open for them to resume contract talks and potentially find common ground.
Johnson will have at least a few suitors as he explores the trade market, though.
According to NFL insider Benjamin Albright, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the teams that have shown interest in trading Johnson leading up to the deadline. They could use another talented outside cornerback after losing All-Pro Trevon Diggs in September.
The Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, according to Albright, also have interest.