Getty Jaylon Johnson could pair nicely with Patrick Surtain II.
The Denver Broncos have rebounded from their 1-5 start, thanks to the strength of their defense. Denver must build on its defensive improvement in 2024 by adding another playmaker to their secondary.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report floated the Broncos as a free agency fit for Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
“Fabian Moreau has been a pleasant surprise for the Broncos defense across from Patrick Surtain II since taking over for Damarri Mathis. However, the odds that a journeyman like Moreau is the long-term answer at cornerback are slim to none. Instead, the Broncos should be looking to add another starter through free agency or the draft,” Ballentine wrote in the article published December 11, adding:
“There isn’t a better option on the free-agent market than Jaylon Johnson. He’s having a career year with the Chicago Bears. He’s on the smaller side at 6’0″ and 196 pounds, but Surtain is a big, physical cornerback, so the two could pair well together.”
The Bears selected Johnson with the 50th overall pick out of Utah in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Jaylon Johnson Is One of the Top Players Set for Free Agency in 2024
Johnson will have suitors across the NFL landscape if the Bears choose not to extend him this offseason.
Brad Spielberger of PFF ranked Johnson ninth on his list of the top 50 players set to hit free agency.
“At this rate, Johnson’s stock is rising each week,” Spielberger wrote in his article published December 13. “The physical, technically sound wide cornerback boasts ball production and lockdown coverage abilities that prevent targets as well as anyone, never allowing a 60% completion rate in any NFL season thus far.”
The Bears star has strung together a possible All-Pro season through his 11 starts in 2023. Johnson has allowed career lows in completion percentage (54%), yards (246), yards per completion (9.1) and passer rating (47.6).
The former Ute put together his best performance of the year in a Week 7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Johnson recorded his first two interceptions of the season, returning one for a 39-yard touchdown.
Jaylon Johnson in coverage vs the Raiders:
6 targets
2 receptions allowed, 16 yards
2 interceptions
2.8 passer rating allowed
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Signing Jaylon Johnson Would Be Tricky With Looming Patrick Surtain II Extension
If the Broncos make an aggressive push for Johnson, the team should be prepared to spend a fortune.
Johnson believes he deserves more on his next deal than originally thought, saying, “You can’t say I’m not an elite cover guy.”
“Realistically, what is it that I can’t do that deserves top pay, top corner money? I feel like now there’s definitely opportunity and room – and especially if I touch All-Pro. I feel like there’s not anything that I haven’t done that’s deserving of it,” Johnson said during his December 11 appearance on the Parkins & Spiegel Show.
The fourth-year corner has left the price tag up to the Bears or his next team. Like Chicago, Denver has pending contract negotiations with one of its top defenders.
According to Spotrac, Surtain is set to make $6.6 million in 2024. The Broncos will likely pick up the All-Pro’s fifth-year option after the 2023 campaign. Denver could re-sign Surtain to a significant extension, placing him atop the NFL cornerback market.
Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers has the highest annual salary at the position at $21 million per year.
Signing Johnson would be a blockbuster move by the Broncos’ front office. However, adding him while trying to retain Surtain could prove too expensive.