For all the tension and uncertainty between the Bears and top cornerback Jaylon Johnson heading into the trade deadline Tuesday, they came out of it with even more awkwardness.
Johnson made a late play by requesting a trade Monday night and receiving permission from the Bears to talk to other teams in hopes of getting a deal done, sources said, but nothing materialized. Now he’ll be back with the Bears, and both sides must deal with the fallout of negotiations careening to this point.
The discussions seemed to be mostly amicable until the trade request, which left Johnson’s team about 15 hours to find a trade partner who would meet his contract demands and satisfy general manager Ryan Poles’ requirements in terms of assets coming back to the Bears.
If both side were playing hardball, Poles won. Johnson should have a clearer picture of the market he’d be entering in free agency now that he’s had time to speak with other teams.
And the Bears have options. They can still negotiate a deal, though they’ll have to work through some things after this drama, and they have the franchise or transition tag to keep Johnson from leaving in free agency.
