Jaylon Johnson Shows How Well He's Handling His Contract Talks

GM Ryan Poles has lots of work to do going into the 2023 off-season. People are focused on free agency and the draft for obvious reasons. That isn't his only job, though. There are several players already on the roster who need extensions. He must figure out whether the Chicago Bears should invest money in them. While there are several players involved, four stand above the rest. Running back David Montgomery will be a free agent in March, while wide receivers Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, and cornerback Jaylon Johnson all enter the final years of their rookie contracts.

When looking at those four, it isn't difficult to determine who will likely get top priority from Poles. Mooney suffered a season-ending injury before he could finish the year. Claypool is banged up too. Montgomery is a running back, and that position rarely gets attention when money is involved. That leaves Johnson. He is unquestionably the second-best player on the Bears defense behind Eddie Jackson and by far their best cornerback. It makes sense to lock him up, giving the unit some stability. When Chris Emma of Marquee Sports asked about it, Johnson handled it well.

With Johnson set to enter a contract year in 2023, the Bears must evaluate his worth for their future. For his part, Johnson is eager to start up those negotiations — and hopeful he can stay in Chicago for the long term.

“Oh, 100%,” Johnson said. “I hope they feel the same way about me. We’ll see. It will be a crazy situation to be in different colors than orange and blue. I’m just looking forward to hopefully having that extension and carrying something on and continuing to be a Bear throughout my career.”

Jaylon Johnson will be a tough number to nail down.

Like any young player, he'll want to make the most money he possibly can. In his own mind, Johnson is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Others like Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, and even Aaron Rodgers have attested to this. The tape shows how solid he is in coverage and does his job in run defense too. The problem is it doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Johnson has one interception in his career and has never come close to making a Pro Bowl. This new regime under head coach Matt Eberflus values turnovers. Poles didn't draft Johnson as well. So finding the right amount of money is a challenge.

The highest-paid player at the position is Jaire Alexander in Green Bay at $21 million per year. There is no way the Bears will give Jaylon Johnson that much. A safer bet is somewhere in the $16-18 million range, where Darius Slay, Tre'Davious White, and Xavien Howard reside. While all are more productive than Johnson, it's a range with which the two sides can feel happy. The Bears don't grossly overpay and Johnson can feel like he's compensated as one of the best in the game.