LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Jaylon Johnson and the Bears have been unable to find common ground on a long-term contract extension. That stalemate led to Johnson asking for and being granted permission to seek a trade at the deadline.
No deal materialized as Bears general manager Ryan Poles was unwilling to lower his asking price for a 24-year-old, top-tier corner.
"I don’t want to lose Jaylon Johnson," Poles said after the trade deadline. "If I were to lose Jaylon Johnson, I would like to have a high percentage of hitting on another Jaylon Johnson, which, to me, is a late first and into early second (round pick). Really simple there. That didn’t happen. We are still open to getting a contract done."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
After not being traded, Johnson said he was content to play out the rest of the season and potentially test the free-agent market while acknowledging the Bears could franchise tag him.
In the weeks since his trade request wasn't carried out, Johnson has repeatedly said his only focus is on earning an All-Pro selection and helping the Bears make the playoffs. The contract talks with the Bears were on the back burner.
But Johnson made it clear Wednesday at Halas Hall that "tabling" talks wasn't code for "I want out." The Bears' defense has played at a near-elite level over the past month. The defensive rise has been spearheaded by Montez Sweat's arrival and the ascendance of a talented, young secondary that Johnson spearheads.
The 24-year-old cornerback sees the Bears are headed in the right direction, and he'd be content to sign a deal with the Bears before free agency opens if the deal is to his liking. He doesn't need to see what's out there. He believes where he's at is the best place for him.
“I mean, it’s all I know, honestly," Johnson said Wednesday when asked why he'd want to stay with the Bears. "I just couldn’t see myself anywhere else. It’s easy to say, oh, you want out of somewhere until you get it and then it’s like, ‘Ah, this may not be quite what I want.’
"But I would say for me, I want to stay here, and I want to not make that transition now. I feel like we’re building something special, too, especially with the guys in the locker room. I don’t think it’s something I can get anywhere else. I would like to stay and continue to build and make this better, and shit, I want to win some games and get to the playoffs and make a push with the Chicago name, too.”
CHICAGO BEARS
Johnson bet on himself this season by not signing an extension below his perceived value.
There's no doubt that bet paid off, as Johnson has been one of the best cover corners in football this season.
Per Pro Football Focus, Johnson ranks first in passer rating allowed (30.9), first in yards allowed (185), first in yards per reception (8.0), second in receptions allowed (23), and third in reception percentage (48.9 percent) among cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps.
Johnson knows his bet on himself should pay off when he and the Bears return to the negotiating table.
"I definitely say I’ve added some money to the value," Johnson said. "I would say. At the end of the day, it’s a situation that I feel like is somewhat out of my hands, but we’re gonna see how it goes."
Locking up Johnson should be Poles' easiest decision in an offseason that could be headlined by seismic change. The Bears' defense has shown its elite potential over the past month, and the secondary is set up to be one of the best in the NFL for the foreseeable future if the Bears can keep it together.
That starts with paying a rising star corner who wants to be part of the solution in Chicago. He has proven his worth this season, and the arrow will remain pointing up as he enters his prime.
There's no reason that prime should take place anywhere else but Chicago.