Jaylon Johnson Says ‘Mind’s Definitely On The Money’ In Bears Contract Talks

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson wasn’t traded or given a contract extension by the team before the trade deadline, and he will become a free agent in March.

The 24-year-old had a stand-out season in Chicago with four interceptions and allowing only a 28.5 passer rating in his coverage, finishing the year as a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. Johnson finished out his four-year $6.4 million rookie contract and is now looking for more money as he enters free agency.

“Heart’s definitely in Chicago, mind’s definitely on the money,” Johnson said at the Pro Bowl. “So, I mean, we’ll figure out if we can make them both come together and get something done. I’m looking forward to see what’s to come.”

The Bears are expected to have $46 million in cap space this offseason, with the ability to resign Johnson to a higher-paying contract. They also can franchise tag Johnson, which would net the cornerback $18.8 million and put him as one of the highest-paid players in the position. Both the Bears and Johnson struggled to come to a trade or extension agreement during the season, but both parties still seem to want to come to an agreement.

“I feel really good about that situation,” Bears GM Ryan Poles said last month. “Jaylon’s not going to go anywhere, and we’ll work through it to get something done.”

Johnson isn’t the only player Chicago has to make a decision on, as free agents Darnell Mooney, Yannick Ngakoue and Justin Jones, all could be poised to leave if not offered large contracts.

The Bears also have a decision to make regarding their quarterback, and whether to keep Justin Fields or use their No. 1 pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams and build the team around him. Chicago has many decisions to make in the offseason, with a large chance that they will look very different from the team that suited up in Week 1 of the 2023 season.

The Chicago Bears finished the season last in the NFC North at 7-10, and haven’t won a playoff game since 2010. Though making it to the the playoffs in 2019 and 2021, the team has struggled in recent years and has never looked like a true contender in the league with Fields at the helm.

Chicago currently has the No. 1 pick from the Carolina Panthers following a trade that also saw D.J. Moore join the Bears, as well as the No. 9 pick that belongs to the team. They will have more cap space than the average team going into the offseason but are going to need to make key decisions as to how they want the team to look going forward. With it being almost certain that new players are going to come in, Chicago should do their best to keep the players around that they’ve seen make an impact, like Johnson on the defense this past year.