Momentum Could Be Building For Possible Jaylon Johnson Contract Extension

Since the end of the 2023 NFL season, there has been little news regarding a contract extension for Chicago Bears All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Bears GM Ryan Poles assured during his end-of-season press conference that Johnson would remain with the team, stating, "Jaylon isn't going anywhere." While some speculated this implied the Bears might use the franchise tag, the recent announcement of a record-high NFL salary cap for the 2024 season at $255.4 million means tagging Johnson would now cost Chicago $19.802 million, slightly higher than initial projections. With the cap currently set at $255.4 million, Jaylon Johnson has the potential to secure a contract extension averaging between $21 million to $22 million annually.

Amidst this, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus tweeted an intriguing comment on Sunday morning. Responding to a question from Bleacher Nation Bears about whether Cubs President Jed Hoyer should assist (jokingly) in extending Jaylon Johnson, given the Cubs recent success in securing a Cody Bellinger extension, Spielberger, known for his accurate predictions, expressed confidence that the Bears could finalize the extension by themselves without Jed's help. Spielberger's track record of being ahead of NFL news lends weight to his post. If he is correct once again, the Bears could soon lock in Johnson's extension, bringing a resolution to the ongoing speculation about the CB future.

Is a trade for Justin Fields coming soon?

In this week's episode of the BFR Podcast, presented by Sports Mockery, Dave and Ficky chat with Theo Ash of The Stay Hot Podcast. Tune in for an engaging discussion on all things Bears, including off-season news, Justin Fields trade rumors, and more! Catch the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, or watch the video below.