Jaylon Johnson is going to stick with the Bears for the rest of the season. The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and the shutdown cornerback was not traded away.
Johnson’s name had floated in trade rumors for weeks since he’s playing on the last year of his deal, the Bears sit at 2-6 and Johnson could help many teams make a playoff push. The big question has always been whether or not it was worth it to move a young player of his caliber.
Top tier cornerbacks are hard to come by in the NFL and Johnson has been one of the best pure coverage corners in the league for several years. The Bears wanted Johnson to take the ball away at a higher clip this season before signing him to a contract extension, and so far he’s done it. Johnson entered the 2023 campaign with just one career interception and two forced fumbles. In just six games this year he has two interceptions and one forced fumble.
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The Bears may ultimately move on from Johnson over the offseason, but now the team has more time to work on a long-term deal with him.
Ryan Poles made one trade earlier on Tuesday. He sent a second-round pick to the Commanders in exchange for talented pass rusher Montez Sweat.