The Chicago Bears have several players up for extensions ahead of their final contract years, including cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson has made it clear that he’d like to remain in Chicago and sign a long-term deal, and he told NBC Sports Chicago back in February that he expected contract talks to “heat up” this offseason.
While Johnson has missed the first two weeks of Organized Team Activities, it hasn’t been related to his contract status. In fact, Johnson told ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill & Max that he will be at Halas Hall for the final week of OTAs before mandatory minicamp.
Johnson explained how his mindset about a potential contract extension has changed.
“Honestly, for me, it used to be a lot of pressure,” Johnson said on ESPN Radio. “I would even say for me going into my third year, I felt like that was the year for me to put myself out there to be able to have a new contract, to be able to re-up. For me, it’s just about going out and being who I am. I know I can be a dominant corner. I am a dominant corner in this league, following No. 1 wide receivers and just finding ways to continue to do my job at a high rate, continue to be a better teammate, continue to find ways to win.”
The Bears are coming off a 3-14 season, but with improvements across the roster — along with the veterans in place — many believe Chicago has the potential to go from worst to first.
“With winning comes paychecks, and I think at the end of the day, I need to focus on winning,” Johnson said. “That’s what I’m worried about going into Year 4.”
