Tag: Jaylon Johnson

Bears’ Jaylon Johnson motivated to be ‘best corner in the league’

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson earned a well-deserved payday this offseason, but his motivation remains the same heading into the 2024 season.

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson earned a well-deserved contract extension this offseason after proving his worth as a cornerstone of this defense moving forward.

Johnson is coming off a career year with Chicago, where he reeled in 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.

The payoff was a four-year, $76 million contract extension that keeps him with the Bears through 2027. Despite getting paid, Johnson remains motivated to prove himself in the league.

His goal? “Being the best corner in the league,” Johnson said.

Johnson is certainly well on his way to getting there, especially coming off an impressive 2023 season where he was the highest-graded cornerback (90.8), according to Pro Football Focus.

But Johnson remains focused on the task at hand and continuing to work toward consistently being a top cornerback in the game.

“Discipline and daily work habits,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “That’s what he has done, and he showed that he had an area he needed to work on, and he got better at it. So, he showed determination and then he really showed his devotion and love for the game.”

Johnson will be a key leader among a young, ascending Bears defense looking to make a statement this season.

Teven Jenkins says ‘nothing is on the table’ for Bears extension

Teven Jenkins has said he wants to a Bear for a long time, but he’s still waiting for the team to engage in contract negotiations.

It’s been quite the journey for offensive lineman Teven Jenkins ever since he became a member of the Chicago Bears. The former second-round pick was supposed to be the team’s franchise left tackle, then experienced a regime change, moved to right tackle, was supposedly on the trade block, and finally settled at guard, where he became one of the league’s better interior blockers.

Despite the rollercoaster early on, Jenkins found a home on the offensive line and is being counted on for the 2024 season as the Bears usher in a new offense and a new era. But anything beyond that is very much up in the air.

Jenkins said as much on Wednesday afternoon following Day 2 of Bears minicamp practice. Meeting with the media, Jenkins was asked if he had talked with the team about a possible contract extension as he is entering the final year of his deal. “Yeah, we reached out,” Jenkins said, but quickly made it clear where things stood. “Nothing is on the table.” A follow-up was asked on where things stood with him and the current administration. “Up in the air, can’t tell you,” Jenkins said while shaking his head.

According to Jenkins, one side is talking about wanting to do a deal. The question is, when will general manager Ryan Poles follow up? Jenkins is the next player in line for an extension, and he has excelled at guard when healthy. That’s the issue, though.

Since coming into the league back in 2021, Jenkins has started just 24 of 51 possible games due to injuries. He’s dealt with back issues, a neck injury, and lower body injuries, including one that kept him out of the team’s first four games last season. Jenkins knows he hasn’t been on the field enough and mentioned that as his top goal this upcoming season. “Stay healthy. That’s No. 1, and that’s of the utmost importance for me right now. Stay healthy, get through the whole 17 games, and continue my strong play from last year and be a more consistent, reliable guy.”

Jenkins has the potential to be a Pro Bowl guard if he can stay on the field. He allowed just three sacks all year in 2023, with two of them coming in the final game. He’s developed into a mauler in the run game and has been the team’s top interior lineman the last two years, despite moving from the right side to the left in 2023.

Poles hasn’t been shy about giving out extensions, even to the players he didn’t select. Tight end Cole Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson both inked new four-year deals within the last 12 months, despite being selected by the previous regime. And while Kmet has been the team’s Iron Man, Johnson has dealt with his own health issues, which could have been one of the reasons for the holdup. Poles and Jenkins may have had a rocky start to their relationship, but things appear to be much better going into Year 3 together.

The Bears clearly need Jenkins to solidify the interior of their offensive line, given the constant shuffling that has been happening. If he can just stay healthy, there’s a much better chance of a deal getting done. And it’s not like Jenkins wants to go anywhere, either. “I want to be a Bear for a long time,” he said in an interview last month. Hopefully, the feeling winds up being mutual.

Bears OTAs: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker among players absent for Friday’s practice

The Bears held their sixth and final OTA practice on Friday. Here are the players who were not present or did not practice.

The Chicago Bears wrapped up their sixth and final day of voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) on Friday. It was the second practice open to the media, giving those in attendance a chance to see how the team has improved from last week. As is the case for voluntary practices, though, there were a few notable players absent from Friday’s session—including much of the starting secondary.

Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard were not present. Wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Montez Sweat, who missed last Thursday’s practice, were also absent once again.

Meanwhile, guard Nate Davis, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, and linebacker TJ Edwards were at practice but did not participate. Guard Teven Jenkins did not participate in team drills, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.

With much of the starting secondary missing, the offense was able to capitalize with a strong practice. According to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams completed 13 of 15 passes in 7-on-7 against the first-string defense. It was a strong day for the young signal caller, as he was able to bounce back from a rough outing last week.

As for why players like Johnson and Gordon were absent, head coach Matt Eberflus declined to go into specifics, but it is worth noting that Johnson has a charity outing for his foundation, “Kevvy’s Vision,” this weekend in California, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain. Eberflus expects everyone to be back next week, however, when mandatory minicamp gets underway. Those practices take place June 4–6.

Bears DC Eric Washington believes LBs and DBs among the best in NFL

Bears DC Eric Washington believes the team’s back seven is “as good a group as there is in the NFL.”

There are high expectations surrounding the Chicago Bears heading into the 2024 season, and rightfully so.

While there’s plenty of excitement surrounding this offense, especially with the addition of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the defense has been flying under the radar.

Chicago’s defense was among the worst in the NFL in the first half of the 2023 season, but they made huge strides and were a top-10 unit in the final leg of the season. The addition of Montez Sweat at the trade deadline was a huge reason why.

Now, the Bears are returning their young core — including re-signing All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a long-term deal — and expectations are high for this defense.

New defensive coordinator Eric Washington believes the pass rusher is better this year compared to the previous year. Although, it still needs some work. But Washington had high praise for Chicago’s linebackers and defensive backs, which he believes are among the best in the NFL.

“Our back seven, I think they’re as good a group as there is in the NFL,” Washington said. “I’m biased, but having a chance to be on the football field and watch them and watch the details, there’s a lot to be excited about.”

The Bears overhauled their linebacker group last offseason with the additions of T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds, and they were a big part of the defense’s success in 2023. Now, they’re back, along with Jack Sanborn, and looking to continue their dominance.

Chicago’s secondary is a young, ascending unit that made huge strides last season after struggling out of the gate. Johnson is the veteran anchor in that group, but there’s plenty of young defensive backs in place with Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. They also added All-Pro veteran safety Kevin Byard in free agency.

With the improvements made — and the continued development of young talent — the ceiling is high for this Bears defense in 2024.

Jaylon Johnson on Caleb Williams’ impending Bears arrival: ‘You’ve gotta prove yourself’

Jaylon Johnson is the latest Bears veteran chiming in on Caleb Williams’ impending arrival and how he needs to prove himself.

Caleb Williams has huge shoes to fill ahead of his impending arrival to the Chicago Bears.

Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields was talented, of course, but he was also beloved in the locker room. His teammates were quite vocal about wanting him to stay in Chicago. But, ultimately, it was general manager Ryan Poles’ call to trade Fields and essentially usher in the Williams era.

Receiver DJ Moore recently spoke about what Williams needs to do to earn respect from the locker room, cornerback Jaylon Johnson is the latest Bears veteran chiming in on Williams’ impending arrival and how he needs to prove himself.

“You just humble yourself coming into the building,” Johnson said on Up & Adams. “You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially with guys who have played the game at a high level for consecutive years in the league. Guys like myself, Tremaine (Edmunds), T.J. (Edwards), now Keenan Allen. We’re going to see through that. What you did in college, the Hollywood, nah, you’ve gotta prove yourself. Stuff like that doesn’t matter.”

While there’s been a lot of focus on Johnson’s remarks about “that Hollywood stuff,” he went on to explain the importance of getting to know Williams as a person and wanting him to be the best he can be.

“You gotta get to know him, too. I think it’s a fine line between trying to prove a point to him, but also getting to know him,” Johnson said. “Because, at the end of the day, we want him to be the absolute best he can be. That’s what we’re bringing him in for, to win games. I think truly just learning who he is as a person, learning him deeper than all the Hollywood stuff you see, but actually trying to learn and get to know him.

“And then knowing from there what pushes him. If it is trash talk, if trash talk makes him crumble, then I mean, I feel like we gotta push that button because people in the game, they’re gonna push that button. Depending on whatever it is that he needs to be pushed at, I feel like that’s our job and that’s our duty as his teammates to make him better to strengthen his weaknesses.”

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How Jaylon Johnson’s extension impacts Bears’ salary cap

The Bears signed star cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a four-year contract extension. Here’s how it impact Chicago’s salary cap in 2024.

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.

Bears sign CB Jaylon Johnson to 4-year contract extension

The Bears have locked down Jaylon Johnson to a long-term deal keeping the Pro Bowl cornerback in Chicago.

The Chicago Bears have signed cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a mega contract extension that makes him one of the highest paid players at his position. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz was first to report the news.

It’s a four-year deal worth $76 million with $54.4 million guaranteed, per Schultz. 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’s $19 million per year, which is slightly under the $19.8 million he would’ve received on the franchise tag.

Johnson, a former second-round pick in 2020, 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.

Re-signing Johnson was a priority for general manager Ryan Poles this offseason. Johnson was a key component of the success of Chicago’s defense down the stretch and among the team’s best and most important players.

Back at the NFL Scouting Combine, Poles told reporters the organization was in the process of getting a contract extension done for Johnson, where conversations were going well are there was optimism about getting a new deal done. Poles also made it clear he didn’t want to utilize the franchise tag, although that’s what ended up happening earlier this week. But it took all of two days to get an agreement done.

With Johnson locked down through 2027, the Bears have a special cornerback group that also features Kyler Gordon, Chicago’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in Tyrique Stevenson and another standout rookie in Terell Smith.

How Jaylon Johnson’s franchise tag impacts Bears’ 2024 salary cap

The Bears are placing the franchise tag on Jaylon Johnson. Here’s how it impact Chicago’s salary cap in 2024.

The Chicago Bears are placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, according to various NFL insiders.

The move comes after the Bears and Johnson failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, although discussions remain ongoing with the goal of an extension.

If both sides can’t come to an agreement on a long-term extension by July 15, Johnson will play out the 2024 season on the franchise tag, which would pay him $19.8 million.

So how would that impact Chicago’s salary cap in 2024?

Factoring in Johnson’s $19.8 million cap hit, the Bears currently have $56.46 million in salary cap space, seventh 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, a former second-round pick in 2020, 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.

Bears place franchise tag on CB Jaylon Johnson

The Bears have placed the franchise tag on All-Pro CB Jaylon Johnson as the sides haven’t yet agreed to a long-term deal.

The Chicago Bears are set to place the franchise tag on cornerback Jaylon Johnson, tying him to the team through the 2024 season, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

General manager Ryan Poles had been hopeful to sign Johnson to a long-term deal, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement prior to the tag deadline of March 5. Johnson will make $19.8 million if he plays the season on the tag.

Jones notes the Bears are continuing to work on a long-term extension, which he noted could still happen before the start of new league year next week.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, it’s a non-exclusive tag for Johnson. With a non-exclusive tag, the most commonly used, other teams can negotiate with Johnson, but the Bears have the right to match any offer. If they don’t, they would get two first-round picks.

Retaining Johnson was a priority for the Bears after he produced a career year in 2023. Johnson totaled four interceptions and 10 pass breakups while allowing an opposing passer rating of just 50.9. He was consistently one of the top cornerbacks according to PFF and was named to his first Pro Bowl and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors. All of this was accomplished while navigating through a season that contained trade rumors and even a request.

Ultimately, Johnson never went anywhere and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. The two sides have until July to hammer out a long-term contract, which Poles has indicated is his preference. Otherwise, Johnson will play the 2024 season on the franchise tag.

Franchise tag deadline: Will the Bears use it on Jaylon Johnson?

The franchise tag deadline is today, where we’ll see whether the Bears tag Jaylon Johnson or agree to a long-term deal.

The NFL’s franchise tag window officially closes Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT, where the Chicago Bears have to decide whether to use the tag on star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

Johnson is coming off a career season and his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. He established himself as one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks, totaling a career-high four interceptions, 36 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 14 games.

General manager Ryan Poles made it clear that Johnson isn’t going anywhere in 2024. Essentially, that means Chicago is aiming to sign him to a long-term deal with the flexibility of the franchise tag to allow for additional negotiation time.

Last week at the NFL Scouting Combine, Poles told reporters they were in the process of getting a contract extension done for Johnson, where conversations were going well and he sounded optimistic about getting a deal in place.

Teams that utilize a tag have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal with a player. If there is no deal agreed upon, the player will play out the 2024 season on that one-year tag.

For Johnson, the franchise tag would pay him $19.8 million, the average of the top five salaries at his position.

At this point, the expectation is the Bears will use the franchise tag on Johnson to further negotiations with the hope of getting a long-term deal done. We’ll see if Chicago can manage to get a deal done before the 3 p.m. CT deadline.