Bears Breakout Star Dubbed ‘Most Likely’ to Change Teams
The Chicago Bears could be looking at a major shakeup in the secondary by the time the offseason rolls around.
Chicago has been in contract negotiations with cornerback Jaylon Johnson since the offseason, but to no avail. Legitimate trade talks swirled around Johnson ahead of the NFL trade deadline, though nothing ultimately materialized.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report on Saturday, November 11, named Johnson among a handful of free agents most likely to change teams in 2024, contending further that Johnson has a better chance of playing elsewhere than any other name on the list.
“Shortly before the deadline, the Chicago Bears gave permission for Jaylon Johnson’s agent to explore a trade. It didn’t happen, but that’s clearly not a positive sign about his future in Chicago,” Kenyon wrote. “Among all these marquee players, Johnson seems the most likely candidate to sign elsewhere in free agency. Given that cornerback is practically a need for every NFL team, Johnson shouldn’t have a shortage of suitors, either.”
Jaylon Johnson Putting Up Career Season in Contract Year
Johnson has put the Bears in a tough spot by producing the best season of his career during a contract year.
Spotrac projects Johnson’s market value at $17.5 million annually over a four-year deal ($70 million total). The former second-round pick is playing in the final season of his four-year, $6.5 million rookie contract. Chicago has the projected cap space (82.4 million) in 2024 to make a deal at that price happen, but clearly perceives Johnson’s value differently than he does.
It is hard to argue that Johnson doesn’t deserve a big pay day considering his statistical production, both in counting stats and advanced metrics. He has held opposing quarterbacks to a collective completion percentage of 60% and a collective rating of 60.4 across 35 targets, per Pro Football Reference. Johnson has also tallied 23 tackles, 4 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown in eight games played.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) currently ranks Johnson as the No. 6 cornerback in the NFL out of 114 players who have played enough snaps to qualify at the position. Johnson was rated No. 2 in the league heading into Week 10 and could shift again once every game is complete.
Bears Can Keep Jaylon Johnson Without Signing Him to Long-Term Extension
There is a third possible outcome other than Johnson departing Chicago in free agency or the Bears signing the cornerback to a multiyear extension.
General manager Ryan Poles traded away the team’s second-round pick for the second consecutive year, this time to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. Like Johnson, Sweat was also bound for free agency next March, but the team signed him to a four-year, $98 million extension.
With that signing, the Bears guarantee that they will have the option to apply the franchise tag to someone other than Sweat. Johnson is a prime candidate for that designation considering his level of production at a premium position and his pending free agency.
Applying the tag to Johnson would allow Chicago to retain him on a one-year deal that would pay the cornerback the average of the top five salaries in the NFL at the position, which would slot him in at around $20 million in 2024.
