The Chicago Bears agreed to a four-year, $76 million contract with cornerback Jaylon Johnson, per Jordan Schultz. The deal is expected to include $54.4 million in guaranteed money. Johnson was franchise-tagged earlier this week but will instead go forward with this new deal. The deal is frontloaded, with the cornerback set to make $60 million — including all of the guaranteed money — over the first three years.
Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by Chicago. He has been a starter all four years of his career and has become a foundational piece of the Bears’ secondary. Johnson has played in 53 career games and has combined for 161 tackles, three forced fumbles and five interceptions in that span. The knock against him is that he hasn’t played a full season yet in the NFL, but he has played in at least 11 games each season.
There is a lot up in the air for Chicago, but it is mainly on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Justin Fields could be on his way out, but Johnson adds to the long-term commitments that the front office is making to the defense. He joins Montez Sweat and Tremaine Edmunds as the defense’s foundational pieces that are under contract for at least the next three years.