Chicago Bears, star cornerback Jaylon Johnson reach agreement on four-year extension
CHICAGO, Ill. - Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles called his shot, and didn't miss.
The Bears are reportedly keeping Jaylon Johnson in Chicago on a four-year extension, the team announced Thursday afternoon.
ESPN and Bleacher Report both reported the news first.
This comes two days after the Bears placed the franchise tag on Johnson, which was set to keep him in Chicago for at least the next year and pay him just north of $19 million for the 2024 season.
"We’re extremely excited to be able to keep Jaylon here for the next four years," Poles said in a statement. "He’s an integral part of our defense and his leadership will help our team continue to ascend."
Now, Johnson will get handsomely paid like the All-Pro he proved he can be.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, Johnson's four-year deal is worth $76 million with $43.8 of that money guaranteed. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Johnson will get $60 million in the first three years of the deal.
Johnson will be one of the four highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL.
Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander tops the list at $21 Million per year, followed by Cleveland's Denzel Ward and Miami's Jalen Ramsey at $20.1 and $20 million, respectively. Johnson will make $19 million per year with this new contract.
This turns the page on the Bears' offseason priority list.
First and foremost, re-signing Johnson was something Poles mentioned back in January. Poles said Johnson "wasn't going anywhere" then, and reiterated that at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in the last week of February.
After that would be free agency, which carries two objectives.
If Poles is going to trade Justin Fields, he said he would want to do so before free agency. Beyond that, the Bears have plenty of needs they can fill in free agency, including safety, center and wide receiver.
Now that Johnson has been paid, the Bears can turn their attention to the next points on their to-do list.
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