NEWSLETTER
For the first three years of his career, watching Jaylon Johnson star as the Chicago Bears top cornerback felt like our little secret. Bears fans knew how good Johnson was in the same way Chicagoans know the best hole-in-the-wall taco and pizza joints. But it never felt like Johnson’s excellence made it to the mainstream.
Then his 2023 breakout happened. And in a big way. So much so that Johnson landed a spot on Pro Football Focus’ All-Breakout Team for the 2023 season.
I think you can understand why when you watch this Jaylon Johnson highlight reel:
If that doesn’t move the needle, then read this explanation from Jim Wyman:
With free agency looming, Jaylon Johnson likely made himself a lot of money with his 2023 performance. He was the only cornerback with a higher PFF grade than DaRon Bland (90.8), and he led the position in coverage grade (91.0).
Despite playing a hefty 530 coverage snaps, Johnson allowed just 25 catches on 50 targets for 195 yards and one touchdown to go along with four interceptions. Unless he gets hit with the franchise tag or signs an extension with the Bears, expect Johnson to be one of the most coveted players on the market in the 2024 offseason.
CHECK IT OUT: Jaylon Johnson was the NFL’s Best Cornerback in 2023
In addition to topping the PFF charts, Johnson set a new career high in interceptions (4) and had his most passes defended since his rookie year in 2020 (10) while playing on 91 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Johnson’s breakout year led to him getting second-team All-Pro honors and an invite to the Pro Bowl. Yes, I understand that the Pro Bowl has lost its luster. But let the record reflect that Johnson was in on the initial Pro Bowl release and is not a down-the-ballot alternate. In this particular situation, that Johnson Pro Bowl nod speaks volumes about his 2023 season.
What’s next for Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson?
The bad news is that Jaylon Johnson is set to become a free agent in March. As Pro Football Focus points out above, Johnson will be a highly coveted free agent if he doesn’t come to an agreement with the team on an extension. But the good news is that it doesn’t seem likely that Johnson will make it to free agency. Firstly, Johnson has long been vocal about his preference to stay in Chicago. Secondly, he said he expects to get an extension deal done with the Bears at some point. Thirdly, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles said that Johnson is going nowhere. So, that settles it … right?
If push comes to shove and Johnson and the Bears can’t agree on an extension, the team could place the Franchise or Transition Tag on him. The folks at OverTheCap have the cornerback Franchise Tag projected number at $18.421 million. Franchise Tag numbers are based on the top five salaries at each position. And for good measure, I find it worth sharing that the Transition Tag number projects to be $15.889 million in 2024. The Transition Tag number is based on the top 10 salaries at a given position.
Jaylon Johnson did it all in 2023. He was at the top of his game in coverage, then started to haul in some of the passes thrown in his direction. Sure, Johnson left some picks on the field last season. But one of my favorite things about watching Johnson’s 2023 is seeing how he didn’t let a missed opportunity carry over into the next play. Sometimes, a dropped INT sends dudes into a spiral. But that didn’t happen with Johnson. And his overall play reflects that. Soon, I imagine his pay will reflect his pay.
