Trade rumors often are unfounded, but the conversation around cornerback Jaylon Johnson felt real enough to him that he wondered if the game against the Raiders would be his last at Soldier Field as a Bear.
That would be a major error by the organization. The best thing for the Bears would be for general manager Ryan Poles to 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 how a rebuild comes to fruition.
The only significant extension Poles has worked out was a modest four-year, $50 million deal with tight end Cole Kmet in July. Star linebacker Roquan Smith didn’t get one and was 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 premium position, but for his part, he has been as amicable as could be expected.
He made it clear to the team that it 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. 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 already has proved 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 he’s only 24, so a four- or five-year deal would encompass his prime. There’s little risk that the Bears wouldn’t get their money’s worth.
The only cornerback to prevent quarterbacks from completing 65% or more of their passes in his direction on the Bears last season, Johnson had been graded as the NFL’s best cornerback in pass coverage over the first seven games this year by Pro Football Focus.
Opponents usually don’t throw at Johnson, but when they have this season, they’ve completed 47.8% of their passes, averaged only 4.6 yards per throw and had 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 he didn’t take that seriously.
If the Bears sign Johnson for $60 million over four years, that would make him the 10th-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 the locker room to justify padding that.
The Bears can hold off on this, but they shouldn’t. And Johnson’s performance could drive up his price if they wait.
