The Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are among the teams discussing a trade with the Chicago Bears for cornerback Jaylon Johnson, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.
It was reported earlier on Tuesday that the Bears gave Johnson permission to seek a trade.
Many wondered if Chicago would, in fact, try to move Johnson ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline. The Bears seemed reluctant to sell off any pieces after trading multiple key players last year. Plus, Chicago swung a deal with the Washington Commanders for edge rusher Montez Sweat, indicating that the Bears were also interested in buying.
Johnson is slated to be a free agent at the end of the season and would surely be one of the top cornerbacks on the market. Perhaps Chicago, which has a ton of needs up and down its roster, does not feel that it will have the financial wherewithal to retain him in the spring.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Utah, was originally selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Since then, Johnson has been one of the better corners in the league when healthy. The operative phrase there is “when healthy.”
Johnson has yet to play a full campaign since entering the NFL, topping out at 15 games during his sophomore season in 2021. He has already missed a couple of games this year, and last season, Johnson appeared in just 11 contests.
However, there is no doubting Jaylon Johnson’s impact on the game when he is on the field.
Through six games this season, the Fresno, Ca. native has logged 18 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, four passes defended and a defensive touchdown.
The 49ers and Bills are both in need of a cornerback. In the case of Buffalo, its best corner, Tre’Davious White, went down with a torn Achilles earlier in the year, leaving a gaping hole at the position.
Meanwhile, cornerback is one of San Francisco’s weak points, and the Niners have actually lost three straight games after their 5-0 start.
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