It’s impossible to predict how long peace will last during any contract negotiation, but it appears things will remain calm and amicable between the Bears and top cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson is up for a contract extension as he heads into the final season of his rookie deal and has addressed it several times over the last few months. He went as far as he possibly could Friday to assure general manager Ryan Poles and everyone else that this will stay drama-free.
He said he is “100%” comfortable going into the season even if he doesn’t get an extension and added there is “no question” he’ll be playing.
In yet another departure from the quarrelsome saga that led to prized linebacker Roquan Smith’s exit last year, Johnson struck a tone that was far from adversarial. He said in June, “I’m not him,” and his actions since have reiterated it.
Whereas Smith’s approach was to play hardball, which absolutely was his right, Johnson is playing nice and seeing if that leads to a different result.
“I still have a lot to earn,” Johnson said. “I still have a lot to prove. It’s not like I’m this person who’s been first-team All-Pro three years in a row and don’t have a contract... Definitely gotta do my part better, and I’m going to come out here each and every day and work. And then whatever comes from that, comes from that.”
Johnson’s preference is to wrap up a new deal as soon as possible, and Poles certainly is open for business after agreeing to a four-year, $50 million extension with tight end Cole Kmet on Wednesday.
Poles didn’t tip his hand whatsoever when talking about Johnson on Thursday, but commended him for showing up on time and ready for training camp. Smith opted for a “hold-in” that spanned 15 practices and two preseason games last summer.
With Johnson, the unresolved contract hasn’t been a factor.
“If there is [a distraction], we didn’t notice,” defensive coordinator Alan Williams said. “He is doing fine, just fine.”
Having an agent should help keep the contract from clouding Johnson’s attention as well. He left Doug Wasserman in the offseason and signed with Chris Ellison. Smith represented himself with input from advisors.
While Smith insisted upon — and eventually got from the Ravens, it should be noted — a contract that outpaced what All-Pros Fred Warner and Shaq Leonard recently signed, Johnson isn’t.
When asked directly whether Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs, picked one spot after him in 2020, signing a five-year, $97 million extension Tuesday influenced his expectations, Johnson brushed it off by saying, “Nah, we’re in two totally different ballgames. He’s an All-Pro [with] 17 picks in three years. Hats off to him.”
Johnson doesn’t have any accomplishments like that. Contract talks almost certainly would be easier and quicker if he did. His value requires a more nuanced discussion.
He has been the Bears’ best corner since they drafted him, but has just one interception in 39 games and hasn’t made a Pro Bowl.
Johnson argues, validly, that his effectiveness as a shutdown corner deters quarterbacks from testing him. He was targeted just 51 times in 11 games last season, and in Week 2 against the Packers, Aaron Rodgers didn’t throw at him once. He led the Bears’ corners in lowest passer rating (94.6) and completion percentage (58.8) last season.
“My accolades and my ability don’t match up,” Johnson said. “I definitely have All-Pro talent, for sure. I have Pro Bowl talent. I go out there and lock those guys up.
“I’m a reality guy, and I can look on the All-Pro list and I ain’t on there. But I still believe in myself 100%.”
At some point, the Bears need to put a number on their own belief in Johnson. Securing him as part of their blossoming secondary is incredibly important, and Poles said after the draft he hoped to “keep [Johnson] here for a while.”
The Bears have 2022 second-round pick Kyler Gordon as their nickel cornerback and recent second-rounder Tyrique Stevenson opposite Johnson on the outside. Former All-Pro Eddie Jackson and bruising hitter Jaquan Brisker are at safety. All of them are good or have shown the potential to get there — a huge chance from where that group sat at the end of the Ryan Pace era.
The new plan is very promising, and Johnson is an essential part of it.
