Insider Reveals Why Jaylon Johnson Chose To Halt Contract Talks

The Chicago Bears have made it clear over the past week that they don't want to lose Jaylon Johnson. That is why they set the price tag high at the trade deadline. It's known that a team would've had to surrender a 2nd round pick, and that wasn't happening. Besides, there is still optimism the two sides can find common ground on a contract extension at some point. However, that may have to wait. Johnson reportedly made it clear that negotiations will cease for the rest of the season.

That means the Bears will have to wait until January before re-engaging with the cornerback. Is this an act of anger by Johnson for not being traded? No. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, it has more to do with not liking the offers he was getting. Chicago's wasn't high enough, and the feelers he sent out to other teams didn't get the hoped-for traction. It sounds like he wishes to play the rest of the season out, aiming to improve his value with a strong finish.

From there, he'll hopefully have more bargaining power.

"The cornerback effectively halted negotiations Monday and plans to play out his rookie contract. No hard feelings. The Bears' offer to extend him was considered pretty low, and in talking to teams, they suspect he will jockey with Kansas City's L'Jarius Sneed as the top corners in free agency. In recent years, that market has paid around $15 million per season. But an extension wasn't a prerequisite for a trade, I'm told. Johnson was willing to play out the year on his new team, too. Some teams might not have wanted to give up significant capital for a rental. We know Buffalo was in on corners after the Douglas deal, and San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were among others interested."

Jaylon Johnson wants to bet on himself.

There is nothing wrong with that. Plenty of players have used a similar tactic over the years. Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings tabled talks before the season began. The same went for Tua Tagovailoa and Christian Wilkins in Miami. Either the players or the team would prefer to focus on the games, leaving the business discussions for when everybody could put 100% focus on them. Chicago and Johnson will have close to three full months next year to hammer out a deal after the season ends.

By then, there will be more clarity on where the cornerback's value is. As of now, the two sides have valid reasons for their stances. Jaylon Johnson is playing some of the best football of his career in coverage, snagging two interceptions against Las Vegas two weeks ago. On the other hand, he's now missed 13 games in his career with various injuries. He also only has three career interceptions. The health concerns and lagging production have GM Ryan Poles wary of paying too much.

Waiting nine more games should help crystallize things for each party. It sounds like Johnson is still open to working out a deal. It's a matter of time and patience.