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Jaylon Johnson

Bears Activate Jaylon Johnson, Cut Roster Down To 53

August 26th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bears made a flurry of move to trim their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, per a team announcement, headlined by the activation of Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson from the physically unable to perform list.

Johnson missed all of training camp after injuring his leg during offseason training. Chicago is hoping that he can be ready for Week 1, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, but the 26-year-old still hasn’t returned to the practice field. Keeping him on the 53-man roster suggests that the team believe he has a good chance of coming back in the first four weeks of the season.

The Bears also activated Tory Taylor to the roster in a procedural move. The Australian-born punter was given an international exemption to give Chicago an extra, 91st roster spot during the offseason, but he cannot keep the exemption and remain on the 53-man roster.

Here are the rest of the Bears’ roster moves:

Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)

Waived/injured

Waived

Released

Homer appeared in 10 games for the Bears in 2024, primarily on special teams. He re-signed in Chicago this offseason and will spent a minimum of four games on the sidelines to start the year as he deals with a calf injury, per Biggs. Ogbongbemiga, also a returning special teams ace, will also be out for at least four weeks after injuring his shoulder.

The Bears tried to trade McFadden before final roster cuts, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but were unable to find a partner and waived the former Charger.

Pickens and Scott are two 2023 draft picks that will not survive the team’s coaching change. Pickett, the first pick of the third round, started three games last year and appeared in six more with minimal production. Scott, a fourth-round pick, started four games as a rookie before fading into the background with just one reception in 2024.

Richardson is a practice squad candidate after a strong training camp, per Biggs. So is Stromberg, according to Adam Jahn of CHGO Sports. The former Commanders third-round pick will provide depth at center behind Drew Dalman and Ryan Bates.

Kpassagnon followed Dennis Allen to Chicago this offseason and signed a one-year deal with no guaranteed money, making him an ideal candidate to be released and re-signed to the practice squad via a handshake agreement. That appears to be the plan, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, which will keep the veteran linemen available for early-season elevations to the active roster.

NFC North Notes: Anzalone, Vikings, Johnson

August 3rd, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

It has become clear this offseason that Alex Anzalone is seeking a new pact. The ninth-year linebacker said at the start of training camp that he is “disappointed” with the state of his financial situation with the Lions.

Talks on an arrangement of some kind continued in the wake of Anzalone’s comments, however. While signs still point to no extension being worked out for the pending 2026 free agent, a contract adjustment covering this season has taken place. Anzalone and the Lions recently worked out a restructure, ESPN’s Field Yates notes.

The 30-year-old will see a $250K bump in his $6MM base salary (which is now guaranteed). Per Yates, the new pact also contains incentives which could increase Anzalone’s earnings for 2025. Adding further details on that point, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press specifies there is $750K in new money available via playtime incentives. Anzalone remains on track for free agency next spring, but his fifth Lions campaign could now see him collect as much as $1MM more than what he was originally owed.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC North:

  • Christian Darrisaw resumed practicing in June, but he did so while still awaiting full clearance. The Vikings’ left tackle has been able to participate in training camp on a limited basis, but Emily Leiker of the Minnesota Star Tribune writes no timeline exists for when he will be fully involved. As a result, it remains to be seen if Darrisaw – who tore his ACL and MCL in October – will be available for the start of the season. The 26-year-old is on the books through 2029 thanks to his $76MM extension signed last summer.
  • Elsewhere on the injury front, Jaylon Johnson continues to rehab the leg ailment which he encountered before the start of training camp. A multi-week absence was known to be in store, but it is still unclear when the two-time Pro Bowler will be available. Bears head coach Ben Johnson said (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times) Week 1 is the target in this case. The rookie HC said “there’s a scenario” in which the five-year veteran is back for the start of the year, a somewhat concerning update on the situation given its initial outlook. One month remains for Johnson to heal and avoid a stint on the PUP list in September.
  • The Vikings managed to retain Aaron Jones on a two-year deal this spring, allowing him to remain in place after a career-high in rushing yards last season. 2024 also saw the 30-year-old handle the heaviest workload of his NFL tenure with 255 carries, however. Minnesota targeted a more balanced approach in the backfield, something which resulted in the trade acquisition of Jordan Mason. The snap share between Jones and Mason is yet to be determined, but ESPN’s Kevin Seifert notes something closer to a 50-50 split is likelier in 2025 than past years under Kevin O’Connell. Mason’s 153 carries last year marked a major uptick in usage with the 49ers last season, and he figures to play a key role on offense with his new team.
  • The Lions recently announced a number of staffing changes (h/t Seifert’s colleague Eric Woodyard). Dan Corzine‘s new title is director of scouting operations (in addition to assistant to the general manager). Meanwhile, Michael Pelfrey is now Detroit’s manager of scouting advancement. Austin White and Bri Howard are in place as personnel assistants while Brandon Clark is in the fold as a scouting assistant.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson To Miss Several Weeks

July 26th, 2025 at 12:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles.

Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76 million deal signed last year. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps.

An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury.

“We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday.

2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus (subscripton required).

Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/25

July 19th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Timothy McKay

The Cardinals were one of the two teams Barrs visited yesterday. His free agent workout clearly went well, and he will look to carve out a roster spot during training camp. Barrs, a former UDFA, has yet to make a regular season appearance.

Every player on a PUP or NFI list can be activated at any time, but their designations mean they are not cleared to practice at the start of their respective training camps. Notably, the Patriots’ list of PUP players does not include Stefon Diggs. The free agent addition was a candidate to begin camp on the PUP list, but New England’s decision to keep him on the active roster is an encouraging sign regarding his ACL recovery.

The Jets are taking a cautious approach with Jermaine Johnson, as the former first-rounder confirmed on X. An Achilles tear limited him to two games last year, but the Pro Bowler said on Saturday he is ready for on-field work. Activation well in advance of Week 1 should be expected in his case.

Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Defense

July 4th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 offseason has been defined in no small part by extensions amongst the league’s top edge rushers. A number of high-profile situations on that front remain unresolved at this point, which will make for interesting storylines over the coming weeks. Still, pass rushers once again account for some of the top cap charges around the NFL.

Just like on offense, here is a breakdown of the top 25 defensive cap hits in 2025:

  1. Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): $38.15MM
  2. T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $30.42MM
  3. DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $26.6MM
  4. Daron Payne, DT (Commanders): $26.17MM
  5. Rashan Gary, OLB (Packers): $25.77MM
  6. Montez Sweat, DE (Bears): $25.09MM
  7. Denzel Ward, CB (Browns): $24.56MM
  8. Micah Parsons, DE (Cowboys): $24.01MM
  9. Derwin James, S (Chargers): $23.86MM
  10. Roquan Smith, LB (Ravens): $23.72MM
  11. Dexter Lawrence, DT (Giants): $23.64MM
  12. Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $23.6MM
  13. Jeffery Simmons, DT (Titans): $22.7MM
  14. L’Jarius Sneed, CB (Titans): $22.58MM
  15. Vita Vea, DT (Buccaneers): $22.47MM
  16. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Dolphins): $22.36MM
  17. Jonathan Greenard, DE (Vikings): $22.3MM
  18. Jessie Bates, S (Falcons): $22.25MM
  19. Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $21.92MM)
  20. Quinnen Williams, DT (Jets): $21.59MM
  21. Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears): $21MM
  22. Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $20.43MM
  23. Kenny Clark, DT (Packers): $20.37MM
  24. Danielle Hunter, DE (Texans): $20.2MM
  25. Zach Allen, DE (Broncos): $19.8MM

Crosby briefly held the title of the league’s highest-paid pass rusher when his latest Raiders extension was signed. That $35.5MM-per-year pact was quickly overtaken in value, but it put to rest speculation about a potential trade. Now fully healthy, Crosby’s level of play in 2025 will be critical in determining Vegas’ success.

Garrett currently leads the way in terms of AAV for edge rushers (and, in turn, all defensive players). He landed $40MM in annual compensation from the Browns in a deal which ended his long-running trade request. The four-time All-Pro sought a change of scenery to a Super Bowl contender but then altered his stance following communication with Cleveland’s front office. Garrett is now on the books through 2030.

Other notable pass rushers face an uncertain future beyond the coming campaign, by contrast. That includes Watt, who is not close to reaching an agreement on a third Steelers contract. The former Defensive Player of the Year is reported to be eyeing a pact which will again move him to the top of the pecking order for pass rushers. He thus finds himself in a similar situation to fellow 30-year-old All-Pro Trey Hendrickson with the Bengals.

While Hendrickson is believed to be aiming for a new deal similar in average annual value to those like Bosa and Hunter’s, Parsons could leapfrog Watt atop the pecking order by the time the season begins. Little (if any) progress has been made since Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached a handshake agreement on the framework of a deal. Time remains for a pact to be finalized before training camp; failing that, the possibility of a hold-in will increase.

Recent years have seen a major spike in the valuation of interior defensive linemen capable of producing against the pass. It comes as no surprise, then, to see a multitude of D-tackles on the list. Buckner and Chris Jones are among the veterans with the longest track record of success in terms of sacks and pressures (along with disruptive play against the run, of course). Payne, Lawrence, Simmons and Williams were among the players who helped moved the position’s market upward with similar second contracts during the 2023 offseason.

Gary, Sweat and Greenard will again be counted on to lead the way in terms of pass rush production for their respective NFC North teams. Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota each have upside elsewhere on the depth chart, but expectations will remain high for those three based on their lucrative deals. The highly competitive division will no doubt come down to head-to-head games, and they will be influenced in large part by the performances of each defense.

The cornerback market reached $30MM per year this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Given the term remaining on his rookie pact, though, his cap charge for this season checks in at a much lower rate than that of teammates like Hunter or other top CBs. Ward and Jaylon Jones are on the books through 2027, and the same is true of Sneed. The high-priced Tennessee trade acquisition did not enjoy a healthy debut season with his new team in 2024, but he appears to be set for full participation in training camp.

Safety and linebacker are among the positions which have witnessed slower growth than others recently. Still, a few top performers are attached to deals landing them on this list. Smith has been a first-team All-Pro performer during his tenure with the Ravens; he will be expected to remain one in 2025 and beyond. James and Bates will likewise be counted on as key playmakers in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Fitzpatrick will, interestingly, return to his original team after being part of the blockbuster Steelers-Dolphins trade from earlier this week.

Vea helped the Buccaneers rank fourth against the run last season while Clark and the Packers finished seventh in that regard. Both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals, although in both cases the final season does not include guaranteed money. Vea and/or Clark could thus find themselves discussing an extension next offseason.

Allen is among the players listed who could have a new deal in hand before Week 1. The former Cardinal is coming off a career-best 8.5 sacks from the 2024 season. To no surprise, then, Allen is high on Denver’s list of extension priorities, and it will be interesting to see if the pending 2026 free agent works out a new pact prior to the start of the campaign.

Bears Considering Thomas Brown For Full-Time HC Post; Latest On Matt Eberflus’ Firing

December 4th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Over the past seven offseasons, only one team (the Raiders) has moved an interim HC to the full-time post. Antonio Pierce is 2-10 to start his stay in that role. The Bears are still high on their interim option and are planning to give him a true look.

Thomas Brown will be considered to replace Matt Eberflus on a full-time basis, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. The team has bumped Brown from pass-game coordinator to OC to interim HC over the past month, representing a significant bounce back for a staffer who had been a one-and-done Panthers OC.

The Bears moved the 38-year-old coach into this role after making their first in-season firing, booting Eberflus soon after he was allowed to speak with media the morning after a late-game breakdown in a narrow Thanksgiving loss. Eberflus’ tense postgame meeting with players has been well chronicled, with several — most notably cornerback Jaylon Johnson — speaking up about the nature of the loss to the division-leading Lions. Johnson cut off Eberflus mid-speech, Cronin adds, with a profane rant eventually leading to the three-year HC’s exit from the locker room.

Eberflus offered explanations to the press about the sequence that cost the Bears a chance to attempt a game-tying field goal in Detroit, doubling down Friday in his last comments as Bears HC. He had defended the decision not to call a timeout as the offense slowly operated while the clock ticked into single digits, and while Bears brass met about Eberflus’ future during his speech, Cronin indicates his Friday presser had “zero” impact on the firing.

Still, the optics of Eberflus speaking to the media at 9am CT and then being canned not long after did not paint a portrait of stability. Bears president Kevin Warren soon admitted the team could have handled this situation better. Warren said (via 670 The Score’s David Haugh) the team was trying to be respectful when asked why the team let its HC address reporters roughly 90 minutes before his ouster. Warren has gone on to say the Bears’ job will be the most desired on next year’s market. Unlike the Jets’ Robert Saleh firing, which went around then-GM Joe Douglas, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager confirms GM Ryan Poles was part of the Friday-morning meeting that sealed Eberflus’ fate.

The Bears are not firing Poles, who was initially hired two days before Eberflus. Poles did not have a chance to run that search, only offering late input into the process. Warren and Poles were believed to have a good relationship, and that report has preceded the president — whom the Bears hired after their Poles and Eberflus hirings — giving his GM the reins in the team’s latest HC search. The heat will certainly be on Poles if this next hire fails, but for now, his seat is fairly cool.

Chicago is expected to target an offensive-minded coach to work with Caleb Williams. Teams regularly pivot in the other direction after a firing, and the team’s offense-defense yo-yo would continue in that event. Dating back to Lovie Smith, the team has gone defense-offense-defense-offense-defense — in terms of coaching background — with its past five hires (Smith, Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, Eberflus). A lean toward offense will give Brown a shot, and while a source told Cronin that Brown is the “real deal,” the modern NFL rarely sees teams give interims strong consideration. Pierce’s struggles offer another warning.

In terms of outside hires, Lions OC Ben Johnson and Commanders play-caller Kliff Kingsbury, per Cronin, are indeed viewed as candidates. We heard as much Sunday, with Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman also coming up. Warren’s past as a college commissioner could certainly make him more open to such a hire.

Johnson has been connected to the team for a bit now, and the selective coordinator will again be courted by most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams. Kingsbury did coach Williams, but the Bears already passed on him for their OC gig this year to hire Shane Waldron. An eight-hour meeting — one previously viewed as somewhat of an intel-gathering session on Williams, rather than a true interview about the job — led to Kingsbury exploring other jobs.

The Bears also passed on Brown for that job initially, but he has gained considerable ground after initially signing on in a lower role. A convoluted Panthers plan impacted Brown’s first OC foray, as the Panthers attempted to blend Sean McVay‘s offense with Frank Reich‘s. Brown was in the crosshairs, being elevated to a play-calling role before being demoted before once again calling plays — during a 2-15 Panthers season — once Reich was fired. This season has brought more significant changes to Brown’s job description, but the ex-Rams position coach does appear to have more momentum now than he did coming off the Carolina one-and-done.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Reader

March 31st, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coleman Shelton started every Rams game at center last season, and the former UDFA logged a few starts there during the 2022 season. The Bears gave Shelton only a one-year, $3MM deal, however. Already rostering guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis, the Bears may view Shelton as a backup. This is because Chicago acquired Ryan Bates from Buffalo. Given a Bears RFA offer sheet in 2022, Bates remains attached to that contract (four years, $17MM). He looks more likely to be the favorite for Bears center duties than Shelton, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes.

Bates, 27, does not have a notable history at center. At Penn State, he primarily played left tackle. The Bills used him primarily at guard, with Mitch Morse previously entrenched at center. Despite Buffalo matching the 2022 Chicago offer sheet, the team added two new guards — Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence — in 2023. Bates did not start a game for the Bills last season, but the ex-UDFA looks set to have a good shot at taking over at center for the Bears.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • The Bears’ four-year, $76MM Jaylon Johnson extension features an out in 2026. The deal calls for $10.6MM of Johnson’s $15.1MM 2026 base salary to be guaranteed for injury, but no skill guarantees are in place beyond 2025. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes $7.6MM of Johnson’s 2026 base will shift to a full guarantee if the Pro Bowl cornerback is on the roster by that date. With no true guarantees on this deal post-2025, the Bears could get out with just $5MM in dead money (in the event of a post-June 1 cut) in 2026.
  • The Vikings have been active in using void years under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. This practice cost the team when Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Tomlinson departed, but it is turning to cap space-saving measure heavily this year as well. Minnesota included four void years in Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones and Andrew Van Ginkel‘s deals, with three void years used to spread out the three-year, $22.5MM Blake Cashman contract’s cap hits. While this will create some dead money if these players are not re-signed before their contracts officially expire, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling observes it created some cap space in the event the Vikes need to carry a bigger 2024 cap number for Justin Jefferson, who has been on the extension radar for two years. That said, Jefferson’s 2024 cap figure is already at $19.7MM on the fifth-year option.
  • Looking elsewhere on the Vikings’ payroll, their Jonathan Greenard deal (four years, $76MM) features $42MM in total guarantees. The contract includes $4MM guaranteed for 2026, per Goessling. Though, that money is classified as injury guarantees, providing the Vikes — like the Bears with Johnson — some flexibility down the road on a $19MM-AAV contract.
  • Rounding up some Minnesota contract matters, Goessling adds Shaquill Griffin‘s one-year contract is worth $4.55MM and features $3.99MM fully guaranteed. The Vikings are giving Jonathan Bullard a one-year, $2.25MM deal to stay, per Goessling, who adds Dan Feeney‘s contract to come over from the Bears is worth $1.8MM. Jonah Williams, the defensive lineman, signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal that includes $350K guaranteed, Goessling offers. Jihad Ward‘s one-year accord is worth $1.8MM and includes $1MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
  • Initially labeled as being worth up to $27.25MM, D.J. Reader‘s Lions pact contains $22MM in base value. The Lions are only guaranteeing the veteran nose tackle $7.4MM at signing, per OverTheCap. Coming off his second quad tear in four years, Reader would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2025 league year. That date will certainly be pivotal for his Detroit future.
  • Arrested on a fourth-degree DWI charge in December, Vikings OC Wes Phillips pleaded guilty to a lesser charge recently. The third-year Minnesota OC pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge, Fox 9’s Jeff Wald notes. Phillips, 45, agreed to pay a $378 fine and will serve eight hours of community service.

Bears, Jaylon Johnson Agree On Extension

March 8th, 2024 at 12:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 8: The Bears’ successful effort to convince Johnson to accept an AAV below the franchise tag number came because of the frontloaded offer they presented. The contract will pay Johnson $28MM in 2024, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, with another $16MM in 2025. That two-year total is just north of where two tags would have gotten the four-year veteran ($43.56MM) and helps explain how the Bears locked him down days after applying the tag.

MARCH 7: After resuming extension talks with Jaylon Johnson recently, the Bears are set to remove that $19.8MM cap hold from their 2024 payroll. They have agreed to terms on an extension with the franchise-tagged cornerback, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets.

The sides are believed to have agreed to a four-year, $76MM extension that comes with $54.4MM guaranteed. This will give the Bears more cap space as they prepare to begin, in all likelihood, the Caleb Williams era. It also provides Johnson with a landmark raise considering his status going into last season.

This brings a choppy process to a conclusion; it also represents the culmination of a breakthrough year for the former second-round pick. After initial negotiations did not lead to the parties being on the same page, the Bears let Johnson seek a trade just before the deadline. The 49ers and Bills showed interest, but the Bears held out for a first- or second-round pick. After the deadline, both the Bears and Johnson expressed interest in regrouping and working on a deal. They have done so, and Johnson is now one of the NFL’s highest-paid corners.

Thursday’s extension gives the Bears a big-ticket contract on all three defensive levels; each has been agreed to over the past year. The Bears signed Tremaine Edmunds in free agency and acquired Montez Sweat via trade, extending him soon after that deal came to pass. Johnson gives Chicago a high-end DB payment. After Ryan Poles moved the last of Ryan Pace‘s high-end defender contracts (Eddie Jackson‘s) off the books this offseason, the third-year GM has reshaped Chicago’s defense.

Oftentimes, the franchise tag number serves as the floor for players regarding extensions. The Bears, despite the salary cap’s recent surge, have managed to lock down Johnson at an AAV slightly under his tag price. The $19MM-per-year salary only makes Johnson the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid CB, but it doubles as a windfall for a player who was not viewed as worthy of this type of contract going into last season. It also may set the market for L’Jarius Sneed, whom the Chiefs tagged and are believed to be OK with trading.

As far as guarantees go, Johnson’s $54.4MM figure will check in fifth at the position. ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds $43.8MM is believed to be fully guaranteed, and $28MM will come Johnson’s way in Year 1. That more important number ranks third among corners. Although Johnson came into the offseason expressing hope he could become the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, a frontloaded Bears offer likely swayed him from coming especially close to betting on himself again. Johnson, 25, will receive $60MM over the deal’s first three years, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.

Johnson said last summer he wanted to sign a second contract with the Bears; the negotiations changed course after the season the former Pace draftee put together. Pro Football Focus graded Johnson first overall among corners, and Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics backed that up. After allowing passer ratings (as the closest defender) north of 94.0 from 2020-22, Johnson checked in with a 50.9 number this season — a four-INT slate that produced a second-team All-Pro honor.

Also voted a Pro Bowler, Johnson had not received recognition coming into last season. This well-timed breakout reminds of Josh Norman‘s in 2015, but the ex-Panther needed to find his payday elsewhere after the team rescinded the contract-year wonder’s franchise tag, leading to a Washington landing. The Bears are instead investing in their late bloomer.

With Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson still on rookie contracts, Johnson will be the expensive piece at the position for the foreseeable future. The Bears may well be planning more moves to bolster their roster, with Williams’ rookie deal on track to reset the team’s contract clock at the position after three Justin Fields seasons.

Bears To Tag CB Jaylon Johnson

March 5th, 2024 at 1:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Procrastination reigns in the NFL. Coming into Tuesday, only two teams — the Bengals and Chiefs — had used their franchise tags. A host of subsequent tag calls are coming in hours before the 3pm deadline.

The Bears will follow through with their long-rumored Jaylon Johnson tag, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Although the Bears let Johnson seek a trade before last year’s deadline, they held onto the breakout corner. After an All-Pro season, the former second-round pick will be tied to a $19.8MM tag.

Given the interest from the Bears and Johnson about a long-term Chicago partnership, this was not a difficult tag to predict. As a result, the Bears will have until July 15 to work on an extension with the former second-round pick. Ryan Poles‘ team came into Tuesday with considerable cap space. The Bears will still have more than $55MM after tagging Johnson.

No cornerback had been tagged since the Rams kept Trumaine Johnson off the 2017 free agent market; this year, two corners have been cuffed. While the Chiefs have opened the window to a tag-and-trade move involving L’Jarius Sneed, the Bears look more likely to hang onto Johnson and work on an extension. The sides resumed talks recently.

Johnson, 25, did not look like a possible tag recipient coming into last season; like many have in modern NFL history, Johnson timed his breakout well. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the league’s best cornerback in 2023, and the former second-round pick intercepted four passes and allowed just a 50.9 passer rating as the closest defender. Johnson’s previous-best rating allowed: 94.6 in 2022. It would make some sense if the Bears made the Utah alum prove his second-team All-Pro slate was not a fluke, but the sides were talking an extension midway through last season. With Johnson floating out the prospect he wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner, these negotiations might be tricky.

Although Johnson has not proven to be a difference-maker over multiple seasons, the tag gives him some leverage in talks. Due to the recent cap spike, the 2024 CB tag number nearly matches Jaire Alexander‘s position-record AAV ($21MM). That said, the Bears also hold leverage by using the tag. Johnson can realistically only negotiate with one team, though the Bears would be entitled to a two-first-rounder haul if they failed to match another club’s offer sheet. That is a rare occurrence in franchise tag history.

Contract talks not progressing last fall led the Bears to let Johnson seek a trade hours before the deadline. The Bills and 49ers were among the teams to show interest, but the Bears sought a first- or second-round pick for the four-year starter. It is safe to assume no such offer emerged, and the sides regrouped. The Bears subsequently traded for Montez Sweat and extended him. With most of the Ryan Pace-era pieces off the roster on defense, Poles has some room to maneuver on defense. Although he did authorize a top-five ILB contract for Tremaine Edmunds, Poles does not have a big-ticket contract in place in the secondary at present. That could clear some runway space for a Johnson accord by July.

For now, teams in need of cornerbacks may look to the trade market. Conversely, the second-tier corners on this year’s market stand to see their price tags rise as a result of the Sneed and Johnson tags.

Bears, CB Jaylon Johnson Conducting Extension Talks

February 27th, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Adam La Rose

Arriving at a quarterback decision is the top offseason priority for the Bears, and the team could have a firm direction on that front in the near future. Finding a way to retain cornerback Jaylon Johnson is also high on the to-do list for general manager Ryan Poles, though.

When speaking to the media at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, the latter confirmed that extension talks are still ongoing between the team and Johnson’s camp. Specifically, he noted (via The Athletic’s Adam Jahns) that “conversations are going well” on that front. Obviously aiming to avoid the franchise tag, Poles and the Bears have an offer on the table (h/t Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times).

Johnson enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023, recording four interceptions and 10 pass deflections. Those figures represented an uptick in ball production and earned him a Pro Bowl invite as well as second-team All-Pro honors. Of course, the 24-year-old’s market value has seen a healthy increase as a result of his play during his walk year. Trade talks in the build-up to the deadline did not produce an agreement, and Poles has subsequently stated Johnson will remain in Chicago for at least one more season.

That goal could be achieved by using the franchise tag, a rarity for corners but a backup plan which would ensure the former second-rounder does not reach the open market. Johnson has stated a desire to become the league’s highest-paid corner, which would require an AAV of more than $21MM on a new deal. Working out a pact in that price range will be a challenge for both parties, but it is striking that Poles spoke with considerable optimism when providing an update on the situation.

Chicago is once again in position to have considerable spending power in free agency, though retaining Johnson on a lucrative pact will eat into a large portion of the team’s cap space (especially if the $19.8MM tag is used). The window to apply tags is March 5, but Poles’ stance indicates a long-term agreement could be in place by that point.

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