CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 15: Cornerback Jaylon Johnson #33 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a stop ... [+]
The Bears haven’t been able to agree with Jaylon Johnson on a long-term contract but aren’t willing to let him walk away. They used a franchise tag on him for the 2024 season.
Johnson was rated as the NFL’s top cornerback by Pro Football Focus last year. But he had been bothered by injuries and inconsistency before his breakout performance in the last season of his rookie contract.
As a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, Johnson was signed to a four-year deal worth about $6.5 million. He’ll receive $19.8 million under the franchise tag, a huge increase from his salary of $2.99 million last season.
General Manager Ryan Poles had indicated last week that the Bears had made a “strong” move in their attempt to sign Johnson to a long-term deal but it wasn’t enough to close the gap in negotiations before Tuesday’s deadline to use a franchise tag. The sides have until July 15 to work out an extension that would assure he’ll be a part of the team for at least a few seasons.
No cornerback had received a franchise tag since the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson in 2017. Two did this season, with Kansas City’s L’Jarius Sneed joining Johnson.
The situation between the Bears and Johnson seems similar to the process that led to Poles dealing linebacker Roquan Smith to Baltimore at the mid-season deadline in 2022.
Smith, like Jackson, was vocal about wanting an extension at top-of-the-market levels. Poles expressed interest in signing him but never met Smith’s demands.
There’s a significant difference in context that may work in Johnson’s favor, however. While Smith was headed toward free agency at the start of Poles’ roster rebuild, the uncertainty around Johnson comes with the Bears hopeful to contend in the NFC North next season.
They are positioned to use the first overall pick in the draft on USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who has drawn some comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, and improved on defense last season. The Bears went 5-4 after trading for edge rusher Montez Sweat, and held opponents to 20 points or less in their final six games.
Johnson has become a key for a secondary that was deep enough for Poles to release safety Eddie Jackson after the season. That created a vacancy the Bears are expected to fill in free agency or the draft, as Poles has said he plans to stick with Kyler Gordon as the nickel back.
Elijah Hicks, a seventh-round pick in ’22 from the University of California, is currently atop the depth chart at the safety position opposite Jaquan Brisker. The Bears also have Quindell Johnson, Adrian Colbert and Douglas Coleman III under contract.
While Johnson is only 24, his experience is key for a very young secondary. He replaces Jackson as the leader of the group but the lack of a long-term contract stands as a complication moving forward.
Barring an agreement, the Bears will have to bump Johnson’s salary to $23.76 million if they used a second franchise tag to keep him in ’25. The Bears must hope he will eventually choose to sacrifice a little bit of short-term earning power for the relative security of a four- or five-year contract.
