Jaylon Johnson has missed the first two weeks of OTAs, but the Bears’ top cornerback won’t be gone for long.
Johnson told ESPN’s Key, Jay & Max that he’ll “for sure” be at OTAs next week. Johnson has been spending time with his daughter in Fresno and is heading up a charity event for his non-profit Kevvy’s Vision Project this weekend.
Johnson is entering the final year of his contract. In February, Johnson told NBC Sports Chicago he expected contract extension talks to “heat up” this summer.
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The fourth-year corner’s absence is not related to the lack of a contract extension. Johnson believes that if he continues to perform as he has on the field then things will take care of themselves.
“Honestly, for me, it used to be a lot of pressure, Johnson said. “I would even say for me going into my third year, I felt like that was the year for me to put myself out there to be able to have a new contract, to be able to re-up. For me, it’s just about going out and being who I am.
“With winning comes paychecks, and I think at the end of the day, I need to focus on winning. That’s what I’m worried about going into Year 4."
While Johnson’s presence would undoubtedly be a positive for a young team starting a lengthy ascent after a 3-14 season, the Bears aren’t concerned about his brief absence.
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“I know he’s a vet and he takes care of things and he’s a professional,” second-years cornerback Kyler Gordon said Wednesday. “I know when he comes back not going to be a drop off. He’s a leader on our team and he’s going to do what he does.”