Getty Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson at Soldier Field on October 22, 2023.
The Chicago Bears can’t seem to make up their mind on cornerback Jaylon Johnson, though it appears now that all options have been on the table.
Johnson has been pushing for a new deal since last offseason but has been unable to agree to terms with the Bears front office. The two sides came back to the negotiating table in the latter stages of last month, ahead of the NFL’s October 31 trade deadline. Still unable to hash out a contract, Johnson asked the team for permission to seek a trade and general manager Ryan Poles capitulated.
No trade materialized, which leaves the state of Johnson’s future with Chicago in serious limbo. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on Wednesday, November 8, that the Bears came close to a deal with the Buffalo Bills.
“I’ve heard the Bills were in talks with the Bears on a potential trade at last week’s deadline for cornerback Jaylon Johnson but couldn’t reach an agreement and pivoted to Rasul Douglas once those talks fell apart,” Graziano wrote.
Jaylon Johnson Among NFL’s Elite Cornerbacks this Season
GettyCornerback Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears is having a career year.
Green Bay gave up Douglas and what will probably end up as an early fifth-round pick in 2024 in exchange for the Bills’ third-round selection next year. That pick is likely to end up near the end of the round.
That return, and the fact that Chicago was unable to get a deal done sending Johnson to Buffalo first, suggest that Poles was looking for a second-round draft asset back for his top cornerback. And it is hard to argue that Johnson isn’t worth that kind of return.
Through nine weeks, Pro Football Focus ranks Johnson as the 2nd-best cornerback in the NFL out of 114 players who have played enough snaps to qualify at the position. Johnson has been elite in pass coverage in 2023, holding opposing QBs to a collective completion percentage of 54.8% and a collective rating of 53.6 across 31 targets. He has also recorded 2 interceptions and allowed just 1 touchdown while scoring a defensive TD of his own, per Pro Football Reference.
Bears Now More Likely to Franchise Tag Jaylon Johnson, Create Potential Holdout
GettyGeneral Manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
Johnson’s performance in 2023 begs the question of why the Bears don’t just offer him an extension as the franchise continues to go about its rebuild.
The answer may be that Johnson is having a career season in a contract year, which complicates the process of extending him. His market value has skyrocketed to $17.5 million annually, per Spotrac. A deal that size would make Johnson the 8th-highest paid cornerback in the NFL based on annual average salaries in 2023.
Johnson, a former second-round pick (No. 50 overall) in 2020, dealt with injuries through the first three seasons of his career, which sidelined him for a total of 11 regular season games over that span. Before 2023, the CB had recorded just 1 career interception and his pass breakup totals declined each year.
At 25 years old, Johnson’s best work may still be in front of him. If that’s the case, then this is his breakout campaign and a sign of success to come. If not, then Johnson’s 2023 season is an anomaly and the Bears must be careful not to overpay. There is a solution to the conundrum, however it is one the cornerback won’t like.
“And by reaching agreement on a contract extension with newly-acquired DE Montez Sweat, the Bears now preserve their franchise tag should they need to use it on CB Jaylon Johnson, who requested a trade last week,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote online November 4.
Johnson said he did not begrudge Sweat the four-year, $98 million extension he signed with Chicago just days after the Bears traded a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders to acquire him. That said, the cornerback may not absolve his team so easily, which could lead to a holdout.