The Chicago Bears ultimately held on to cornerback Jaylon Johnson through the NFL trade deadline, but that does not mean Johnson—who asked to be dealt—is currently interested in re-upping with the team.
Speaking about his impending free agency this week, Johnson said that he isn’t thinking about a contract extension at the moment.
“I mean, not really too focused on it right now,” Johnson said, via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago. “Just want to continue to stack the season. Continue to build my resume best I can, and I have some personal goals that I want to achieve and then from there, we’ll figure that out when that time comes. That’s not what I’m interested in right now. I’m trying to win.”
Johnson requested to be traded because he felt that he and the Bears were “really coming to be on the same page” in initial extension talks and was surprised that the two sides were unable to strike a pact.
The 24-year-old added that while he feels he has increased his value with his performance this season, he is “not asking to change the market or break any records” when it comes to a new deal.
Chicago general manager Ryan Poles said that no team was willing to meet the team’s asking price of a late first-round draft pick or an early second-rounder for Johnson, so the front office elected to retain him at least through the end of the season.
The Bears are projected to have a ton of cap room in the offseason, they should have the financial wherewithal to re-sign Johnson in the spring. The question is whether or not they want to.
Chicago has a plethora of needs up and down its roster and also swung a deal with the Washington Commanders for edge rusher Montez Sweat on Tuesday. Like Jaylon Johnson, Sweat is an impending free agent, and given that the Bears surrendered a second-round pick for him, they will almost certainly be handing him a new contract, which won’t be cheap.
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