Outside of deciding what to do with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, the biggest question for the Chicago Bears this off-season was the status of pending free agent All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson. That question now has an answer according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles have agreed to a four-year $76 million deal.
This is a steal of a deal for Poles, who get Johnson for an AAV of $19 million, making him the fourth highest-paid corner behind the Miami Dolphins' Jalen Ramsey ($20 million), the Cleveland Browns' Denzel Ward ($20.1 million) and division rival Green Bay Packers' Jaire Alexander ($21 million). This deal also allows Johnson to re-enter free agency when he is 28 years old; still in his prime and in a great position to get one more lucrative contract.
“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.”
Johnson is coming off his best season as a pro, playing in 14 games while snagging four interceptions (including a pick-six) and was graded as the highest-graded corner according to Pro Football Focus (90.8).
Cover Image courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times.