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Cornerback Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears stated on December 20 that he would prefer to stay with the team that drafted him. But that hasn’t stopped Pro Football Focus from naming potential free agency landing spots for Johnson.
On January 9, PFF identified the Pittsburgh Steelers as one of four possible fits for Johnson other than the Bears.
Johnson experienced his best season yet in the league during 2023. He posted a career-high 4 interceptions with 10 pass defenses, 36 combined tackles and 1 tackle for loss in his fourth NFL season.
Behind those statistics, Johnson earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
Spotrac projected Johnson, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, to be worth about $78.7 million on the open market this offseason.
How Jaylon Johnson Could Fit With the Steelers
PFF naming the Steelers as a landing spot for Johnson wasn’t an original concept.
Just before the NFL trade deadline in October, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Johnson requested a trade. With trade rumors swirling around the 24-year-old cornerback just before the deadline, the Steelers were one of three teams Fowler mentioned as in negotiations for Johnson.
But following the pursuit of a deal to a new team, Johnson stayed in Chicago.
“After a day of exploration, Jaylon Johnson is expected to stay in Chicago, sources say,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted 30 minutes before the trade deadline.
The other two teams Fowler mentioned as interested in Johnson were the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. Like the Steelers, the 49ers were included on PFF’s top landing spots for Johnson list on January 9.
Although rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has emerged as a budding star since the Johnson trade rumors, the Steelers could use another starting cornerback opposite Porter. Fellow starter Levi Wallace, who has struggled this season, is set to become a free agent.
Not only would the 24-year-old replace Wallace, he’d be a significant upgrade.
“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,” wrote PFF’s Brad Spielberger on December 21.
Spielberger ranked Johnson the top available cornerback in the upcoming free agency class. Spotrac predicted the 24-year-old to be worth a five-year, $78.72 million contract this offseason.
Star CB Staying With the Chicago Bears?
Johnson would be an excellent addition to the Steelers defense. The question, though, is if he will actually reach free agency.
If it were completely up to the cornerback, he wouldn’t.
“I want to stay here,” Johnson told reporters on December 20, via AP News’ Andrew Seligman. “I definitely want to get something done (here) first. But at the end of the day, if something doesn’t get done, then I’m not opposed to any other options.
“But I would love to stay here. So that’s that.”
There’s also the question of whether the Steelers will have the salary cap space to sign the 2023 Pro Bowl cornerback, who could make $15.7 million on an average annual basis.
According to Spotrac, the Steelers are projected to be $6.7 million over the salary cap when the offseason begins. Whereas Spotrac predicted the Bears to have $62 million in cap space.
There’s some obvious moves the Steelers could make to free up cap space, including cutting quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But it’s not clear whether the Steelers will be aggressive enough trimming their roster to open space for Johnson, especially when the team may make signing signal caller Mason Rudolph a priority.
Even still, the Steelers are unlikely to be able to outbid the Bears for the cornerback. Chicago also has the advantage of being able to place the franchise tag on Johnson. Spielberger predicted that outcome to happen.
However, Johnson is a player to keep an eye on for the Steelers if he reaches free agency.
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