It’s been a roller coaster of a season for Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson. From a 0-4 start that included an early injury to playing at an elite level by midseason in the midst of trade talks and finally getting his first Pro Bowl nod, he’s gone through it all in his fourth season. But now that the dust has settled on the 2023 season, it’s time to officially turn attention to Johnson’s impending free agency. The talented defensive back believes he’ll get a deal done with the Bears, however.
Johnson spoke with 670 The Score’s Parkins & Spiegel during his weekly radio hit on Monday evening and expressed plenty of confidence that he would be back with the Bears for the 2024 season when asked what is going to happen this offseason. “I think we get a deal done. I expect to get a deal done, let’s say that,” Johnson told the hosts with a smile via 670 The Score.
After making the comment, Johnson did try to temper expectations that a deal would be coming soon. “It’s going to get done; we ain’t even started [talking] yet; we barely just finished the season yesterday. So, I mean, let everything calm down. We still got the Pro Bowl, Super Bowl. It’s a lot going on still that there’s some time maybe to go by, but at the end of the day, we’ll be in contact soon, hopefully quicker rather than later. And then we’ll go from there.”
The 25-year-old cornerback continued to say he’s appreciative of all the love and support and admits it makes the situation easier before ending with a strong statement: “I’m confident and expect to get a deal done in Chicago.”
"I'm confident and expect to get a deal done in Chicago," Johnson adds.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) January 8, 2024
Johnson picked a great time to have a career year as he totaled four interceptions, 10 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and 36 tackles (one for a loss) in 14 games. He was PFF’s highest-graded cornerback for the majority of the season and had the top coverage grade. To put it simply, he shut down opposing receivers whenever he was on the field, and the Bears would be foolish to let him leave.
The contract situation will be one of the biggest storylines this offseason, and the Bears can always use the franchise tag to make sure Johnson doesn’t go anywhere. But the way he’s been talking recently, it sounds like he may be around for the long haul, and that would benefit this defense greatly.
