Bears expected to place franchise tag on Jaylon Johnson, continue working on long-term deal

With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and cap space to spend, the Chicago Bears have plenty of resources at their disposal. But before bringing anyone new in, the Bears made sure to retain one of their own.

Chicago has used the franchise tag on cornerback Jaylon Johnson, paying him $19.8 million, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Bears are still working towards signing Johnson to a long-term contract.

The cornerback earned his first Pro Bowl nomination after a standout 2023 campaign. Johnson started 14 games, making 36 tackles, 10 passes defended and four interceptions. He earned a stellar 90.8 grade from Pro Football Focus and Second-Team All-Pro.

As the Bears build out their roster under general manager Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, Jaylon Johnson will be one of the defense’s leaders from the secondary. Chicago took a step forward defensively in 2023, ranking 12th in the league by allowing 324.2 yards per game. They ranked 29th in 2022, allowing 375.9 YPG.

Much of the Bears’ defensive rise came in the run game, where they led the league by allowing just 86.4 yards per game. However, Chicago fell to 25th in the pass game, allowing 237.8 YPG. As they look to make adjustments throughout the offseason, building out the secondary will be one of the team’s biggest goals.

But with Jaylon Johnson on the roster, Chicago has a strong building block to work with. The Bears are hoping to sign they star cornerback to a lucrative long-term contract. But until that comes to fruition, the team made sure Johnson doesn’t leave town anytime soon via the franchise tag.

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