NEWSLETTER
The confidence that Jaylon Johnson carries himself with has long been one of my favorite things about the Chicago Bears cornerback.
Since the start of his career, Johnson has always played with a zest and swagger that is necessary to thrive at cornerback. He never backs down from challenges. And has been someone who wants to take on the biggest tasks. In short, Jaylon Johnson is as willing to walk the walk as he is to talk the talk.
With that as our backdrop, I find it encouraging how confident he is that an extension will get done with the Bears that will keep the Pro Bowl cornerback in Chicago for the foreseeable future:
“I think we’ll get a deal done,” Johnson said during his appearance on 670 The Score’s Parkins and Spiegel Show. “I expect to get a deal done, let’s say that.”
More from Johnson:
“It’s going to get done,” Johnson said, via 670 The Score. “We ain’t started (negotiations) yet. We barely finished the season yesterday. So I mean, let everything calm down. We still got a Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl, there’s a lot going on 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.”
At this point, there is a part of me that is disappointed that this didn’t get done. But maybe this is one of those better late than never situations.
MORE: Exploring a Potential Jaylon Johnson Extension with the Bears
It’s fair to expect a Jaylon Johnson extension after hearing this interview
I love Jaylon Johnson’s attempts at speaking this into existence. Manifestation is real, my friends. Plus, I’m on board with a player who has not been shy about wanting to stick around in Chicago. Also, I dig how open he is about the process. And, finally, let’s hurry up and get a deal done already because it’s not as if this hasn’t been on our minds for more than a calendar year — in part because Johnson has long been open about landing a new deal to stay with this team. Remember when Johnson got new representation last summer? That subtle change really put into focus how serious he was about getting an extension with the Bears.
Again, we’ve been banging this drum since December 2022 (heck, we even put together some deals for the sake of comparison) knowing that January 2023 represented the first possible moment in which Johnson could’ve signed an extension. More than a year later, Johnson has proven to be worth extending. Johnson ended the year as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded corner for the 2023 season. He also finished the year with PFF’s top coverage grade. Toss in a career-best four interceptions and a Pro Bowl nod and it’s a wonder that a deal hasn’t already been made.
More important than that, he has proven that he is a building block for this defense and team. If the arrow is going to continue to point up for the Bears, they’ll need to retain Jaylon Johnson. At least it sounds like that is a realistic possibility.
