Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is celebrating a career year in Chicago with his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Johnson is set to hit free agency next month. While he’s made it clear that he’d like to remain with the Bears for the long-term, he’s also recognized the importance of getting paid like a top cornerback that he’s become.
“Heart’s definitely in Chicago, mind’s definitely on the money,” Johnson told NFL.com at the Pro Bowl. “So, I mean, we’ll figure out if we can make them both come together and get something done. I’m looking forward to see what’s to come.”
“No doubt. No doubt,” Johnson said. “I think just, like I was saying, just through my career, just continuing to get better, continuing to get better.”
“Probably the only thing I have [against me] was not getting turnovers,” he said. “But now, this year I started getting some turnovers, creating. I feel like I’ve always been an exceptional cover guy, so just being able to impact the game and make plays in the air is something I wanted to do, and I went out and did that. And now everybody knows I can take the ball away. So, I feel like there’s really not a box I can’t check.”
General manager Ryan Poles made it clear that Johnson isn’t going anywhere this year. Hopefully that means re-signing Johnson to a long-term deal. And, if worst comes to worst, Poles will have the franchise tag at his disposal to help extend talks.
