NEWSLETTER
When it comes to the Chicago Bears, it has been all quiet on the extension front.
But perhaps that will change soon as the Family For Life Agency announced that Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has signed on with them as his new representation:
Perhaps not having an agent for much of the offseason played into a lack of extension chatter between Johnson and the Bears. So maybe hiring an agent will make what might otherwise be difficult negotiations a bit easier for both sides. At a minimum, perhaps we’ll see some progress and a little bit of clarity on this front.
For what it’s worth, we’ve been kicking around the concept of extending Jaylon since December. It is also worth noting that Johnson has been hinting he wants to stick around for a while, too. Even when he was M.I.A. at OTAs, Johnson made it clear that his absence had nothing to do with a contract dispute. Moreover, Johnson even used that as another moment to make it known that he likes it here.
And yet, pinning down an extension number for a cornerback like Jaylon Johnson isn’t an exact science.
What does a Jaylon Johnson extension even look like?
Last offseason, we saw Denzel Ward (5/$100M), Xavien Howard (5/$90M), and Jaire Alexander (4/$84M) sign big-money extensions with the Browns, Dolphins, and Packers, respectively. We also saw Carlton Davis (3/$44.5M) re-up with the Bucs on a deal that wasn’t as eye-popping as the big three. Sprinkling in J.C. Jackson’s free-agent contract (5/$82.5M) with the Chargers and James Bradberry’s deal (3/$38M) with the Eagles that was signed in March has me thinking that we can start drawing parameters for a possible Johnson extension in Chicago.
I don’t think Jaylon Johnson’s résumé will require an average annual value north of $20 million like Alexander or Ward. But maybe something in the neighborhood of what Bradberry got from the Eagles ($12.67M AAV) or Jackson was given by the Chargers ($16.5M AAV) threads the needle for both sides. Perhaps a shorter contract (like Davis’ 3-year pact or Alexander’s 4-year deal) would appeal to Johnson. A deal like that could allow Johnson to return to the market at age 27 while still in his prime and potentially in a position to cash in with a second major deal. We’ve seen players gravitate toward those types of deals lately, so I can’t rule it out.
In the end…
Jaylon Johnson is deserving of an extension and it doesn’t seem like it should be a hard one to come to an agreement on if both sides are open to making a deal.
A three-year starter who has been in the lineup since Week 1 of his first season, Johnson can certainly make a strong case as to why he is deserving of an extension. Johnson has been a solid corner in a division that touts some top-rate receiver talent. He is confident and fearless in a position that requires the best players to have both of those traits. Plus, with the Bears drafting two rookie corners last April, it would be nice to have a young veteran whose footsteps are worth following for first-year players. Off the field, Johnson was the Bears’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for 2022. Throw in Johnson’s growth (which led to him earning honorary captain’s status) and leadership skills (I love how he stands up for his teammates) into the mix only adds to the list of reasons why the Bears should want the Utah product at Halas Hall for the foreseeable future.
But by no means is Jaylon Johnson’s profile perfect. Injuries have kept him from playing a full season’s worth of games in each of his first three years as a pro. And I can’t ignore that Johnson’s production in each season has faded after strong starts. There needs to be more consistency in his game, but I don’t think the previous points should keep the Bears from negotiating an extension with Johnson.
For me, it is pretty simple. There is good reason to want Jaylon Johnson and the Bears to come to an agreement on a new deal. And I hope that Johnson’s new agency can help bridge the gap to an extension.
