Jaylon Johnson is under contract through the 2027 season. It isn’t stopping him from eyeing another negotiation.
The Bears’ Pro Bowl corner made his intentions clear when talking with reporters Saturday: He’s playing for another payday.
“This is definitely a contract year,” Johnson said, via ESPN. “We all know with the cap hit and all that stuff. It’s definitely a contract year for me. At the end of the day, whether that’s here, somewhere else, I’ve got to put it on tape that I’m still a top guy in this league.”
A second-round pick in 2020, Johnson earned a franchise tag and eventual four-year, $76 million extension in 2024, keeping him in Chicago for the foreseeable future. Two years later, he’s aware the structure of his contract and the Bears’ upcoming cap situation might lead him to a new home.
Chicago is projected to have roughly $8 million in cap space in 2027. The Bears can save $16 million by cutting Johnson after the 2026 season, a number that makes such a decision quite appealing for a contender.
Johnson knows an outcome is possible, if not likely. It’s why he’s not only playing for the Bears in 2026, but also his earning power in 2027 and beyond.
“I’m not a dummy,” Johnson said. “We all know that and I’ve structured my deal a certain way to put myself back at the table at the age of 27. For me, it was always for this point to get here, and then show how I do what I do and be healthy and be out there doing what I do best and that’s covering, that’s making plays, being a difference-maker. From there, wherever that contract talk goes, it goes.”
Injuries limited Johnson to seven games last season, the first in which he didn’t log double-digit appearances. He’s out to prove last year’s challenges were a fluke and not an indicator of what’s ahead. If he can accomplish that, he can expect another big contract; it just might not be an offer that keeps him in Chicago.