Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s future with the club is uncertain, as he is slated to hit free agency this coming offseason.
Earlier this year, Johnson’s time in Chicago looked it was running out. He was considered a prime trade candidate ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL deadline, and in the lead-up to the deadline, he asked to be dealt. When he wasn’t traded, he declined to discuss a contract extension with the Bears.
But now, with free agency looming, Johnson is beginning to feel differently.
“I mean, it’s all I know, honestly,” Johnson said of playing in Chicago, via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago. “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.”
Johnson, who played his collegiate football at the University of Utah, was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 24-year-old has yet to make a Pro Bowl, but he has established himself as one of the more consistent cornerbacks in football and is a part of a Chicago defense that may be a bit underrated.
“I feel like we’re building something special, too, especially with the guys in the locker room,” added Johnson. “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.”
In the 12 games he has played this season, Johnson has logged 31 tackles, four interceptions, a forced fumble, 10 passes defended and a defensive touchdown in what has probably been the best campaign of his NFL career to date.
The Bears are 5-9 this year, but their defense ranks a respectable 14th in the league. Their pass defense, however, could use some work, as it ranks 26th.
Taking that into consideration, Chicago would probably be better served retaining Jaylon Johnson and adding to its secondary rather than attempting to replace him with someone else.
The Bears will take on the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday.
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