The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a long-term extension with Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, locking down a key piece to the team’s ascending young defense.
Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million deal with $54 million guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, $43.8 million of it is guaranteed at signing with $28 million guaranteed in the first year. Johnson will make $60 million in the first three years of the deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That comes out to $19 million per year, which is slightly under the $19.8 million he would’ve received on the franchise tag. It’s a huge deal for the Bears, who locked down their star cornerback even with the salary cap increasing substantially this offseason.
So how does that impact Chicago’s salary cap in 2024?
Factoring in Johnson’s $19 million cap hit in 2024 — which is $800,000 less than what he would’ve played on the franchise tag — the Bears are slated to have $57.26 million in salary cap space, sixth most in the NFL. That’s still plenty for general manager Ryan Poles as he looks to address some key positions in free agency.
Johnson, 24, is coming off a career year with Chicago, where he set a career-high four interceptions, 36 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 14 games while also emerging as a top cover cornerback in the NFL. Johnson earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods for his impressive 2023 campaign.