Earlier this season, Jaylon Johnson’s future with the Chicago Bears looked bleak. Many felt he would be dealt by the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline, and when ended up staying put, he said he did not want to discuss a long-term extension with the Bears.
However, now that the dust has settled, Johnson is singing a different tune.
Johnson, who is slated to hit free agency this spring, now says he thinks he will remain in Chicago.
“I think we get a deal done,” Johnson told 670 The Score this week. “It’s going to get done. We ain’t started [contract negotiations] yet. We barely finished the season yesterday. So I mean, let everything calm down. We’ve still got a Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl, there’s a lot going still [in the NFL] that I feel like there’s some time to maybe go by. But I mean, at the end of the day, we’ll be in contact soon. I think some things will be done, hopefully quicker rather than later. And then we’ll go from there.”
The 24-year-old will be one of the top defensive players on the market this offseason. Luckily for the Bears, they will have a ton of cap space at their disposal, so if they want to retain Johnson, they can.
Johnson played in 14 games this season, finishing with 36 tackles, four interceptions, a forced fumble, 10 passes defended and a defensive touchdown. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection for his efforts.
The Fresno, Ca. native played his collegiate football at the University of Utah and was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
While injuries have been somewhat of an issue for Johnson (he has never played a full season), he has established himself as one of the better cornerbacks in football when he has been on the field.
Jaylon Johnson and the Bears began the year 0-4, but went 7-6 the rest of the way to finish 7-10.
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