Trade rumors often are unfounded, but the conversation around Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson felt real enough to him that he wondered whether the game against the Raiders would be his Soldier Field finale.
That’d be a major error by the organization. The best thing for the Bears would be for general manager Ryan Poles to do the opposite and secure Johnson with a contract extension by Saturday. That would boost the defense heading into the game against the Chargers and end the tension leading up to the trade deadline Tuesday.
Poles has been conservative, but the Bears can’t be in a perpetual rebuild. The point of protecting future salary-cap space — the Bears are projected to have the most in the league in 2024 — is to spend it wisely when the right moment arrives, and this is it. It takes big money to keep top talent, and that’s where a rebuild comes to fruition.
The only significant extension Poles has done was a modest four-year, $50 million deal with tight end Cole Kmet in July. Star linebacker Roquan Smith didn’t get one and got dealt to the Ravens this time last year. Johnson and wide receiver Darnell Mooney are still waiting.
Johnson will cost more than Kmet because he plays a prioritized position, but for his part, he has been as amicable as could be expected.
He made clear the team didn’t have to worry about him holding out or demanding a trade like Smith and he wasn’t chasing the five-year, $97 million deal the Cowboys gave cornerback Trevon Diggs. And coach Matt Eberflus said Monday, “He’s done everything we’ve asked.”
There’s no imagination necessary when it comes to Johnson. Just like Smith, he has already proven he’s good.
He has been the Bears’ best corner since they drafted him in the second round in 2020 and keeps getting better. And since he’s only 24, a four- or five-year deal would encompass his prime. There’s little risk that the Bears wouldn’t get their money’s worth.
He was the Bears’ only cornerback to prevent quarterbacks from completing 65% or more of their passes his direction last season. Pro Football Focus graded him the NFL’s best cornerback in pass coverage over the first seven games this season.
Opponents usually don’t throw at Johnson, but when they have this season they’ve completed 47.8% of their passes, averaged just 4.6 yards per throw and posted a 24.7 passer rating.
But the Bears’ cornerback crew is no longer Johnson and a watered-down supporting cast. The secondary is strong now, arguably the best unit on the roster, and that’s only going to underscore Johnson’s value.
The biggest thing working against him in negotiations is his lack of splashy stats. His two interceptions against the Raiders, including his first pick-six, brought his career total to three. But as young corners Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson develop, Johnson will get more opportunities like he did last week.
Johnson has said he’s content to hit free agency, and Poles could always use the franchise tag to guarantee he doesn’t leave. But it shouldn’t come to that. The Bears have all the information they need on Johnson at this point and shouldn’t let him play another game without a contract in place.
Johnson didn’t talk to reporters Wednesday, but said Monday on The Score that the possibility of being traded has been on his mind and that he would “be a fool if I didn’t” take that seriously.
If the Bears sign Johnson for $70 million over four years, that would make him the eighth-highest paid player at his position by average salary. That sounds reasonable, and if he’s pushing for a little bit more, he’s important enough to the Bears on the field and in their locker room to justify padding that.
The Bears can hold off on this, but they shouldn’t. And Johnson’s performance could drive his price up if they wait.
