Free agency is just around the corner, where the Chicago Bears have some important decisions to make as they build their roster.
That includes determining the fate of one of their own in cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who’s set to hit the open market following a career year in 2023. Johnson and the Bears have been working toward a long-term contract extension, but it seems as if the two sides are still far apart on the terms.
General manager Ryan Poles made it clear that Johnson isn’t going anywhere, which means he’s confident in the two sides agreeing to a long-term extension or having the franchise tag as insurance.
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 the average of the top five salaries at his position. With the 2024 salary cap now set at $255.4 million, the franchise and transition tag numbers for the upcoming season have also been finalized.
If the Bears do in fact use the franchise tag on Johnson — and fail to come to a long-term agreement by the deadline — then the tag would pay him $19.8 million in 2024.
The hope remains that Johnson and the Bears are able to work out a long-term deal. But the franchise tag remains an option for Poles.
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