Details Emerge On Jaylon Johnson’s Contract Demands

Ryan Poles seemed confused when discussing Jaylon Johnson at his Wednesday press conference. The Chicago Bears GM stated that he felt the team and the cornerback’s representatives had made steady progress on a contract extension leading up to the game in L.A. last week. Then, right before the trade deadline, Johnson requested permission to seek a trade. The move caught Poles by surprise, but he allowed it. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN later revealed that the Bears’ initial offer was considered “pretty low” and Johnson felt he could get more from another team.

Apparently, he didn’t get the interest he was hoping for. While other teams were hoping to acquire his services, the contract discussions were lukewarm at best. Coupled with the Bears’ high asking price, any trade possibilities fell through. Poles made it clear his goal remains to keep Johnson. So what happened? Former Bears scouting director Greg Gabriel shared details on Windy City Gridiron. From what he’s hearing, this is a simple case of Johnson having an inflated sense of his value.

Highly inflated.

Yesterday at 9:35 AM, I got a call from a very well-known and accurate NFL “Insider.” The first thing he said to me was, “Do you know what Jaylon Johnson is looking for?” I told him no, but I assumed it was a very high figure. He said the word around the League is that he is looking for a contract similar to what the Cowboys’ Travon Diggs received this summer.

From Johnson’s point of view, that is understandable. Diggs and Johnson were drafted one slot apart in the 2020 Draft. Johnson was the 50th pick, and Diggs was 51. They both have been starters since their rookie years. After that, the similarities end…

…In the end, nothing happened as no team was going to pay Johnson what he was asking, nor were they going to give up two draft picks. Now, Jaylon Johnson is a Bear for the rest of the 2023 season. My gut feeling is just like with Samual and Taylor, a deal will get done. Johnson’s reps quickly found out that their contractual demands were out of line with what the League felt Jaylon was worth. Much of the leverage they thought they had is no longer there.

Jaylon Johnson was delusional about his value.

For all the talk about how he knows the NFL is a bottom-line business, his approach to these contract discussions doesn’t reflect that. Diggs is tied for the fifth-highest-paid cornerback in the league at $19.4 million per year. A big reason for that healthy chunk of change is his production. In 47 career games, he has 18 interceptions and 52 passes defended. Johnson has three interceptions and 35 passes defended in 45 career games. The two aren’t even close to the same level. His venture to explore other teams likely woke him up to this reality.

It explains why Jaylon Johnson suspended negotiations for the rest of the season. He didn’t like the numbers. His hope is to finish strong down the stretch, hopefully with a few more interceptions to increase his bargaining position. As of right now, the Bears have the leverage. Poles remains committed to working out a deal but is willing to be patient. Johnson’s seems set somewhere in the Carlton Davis range at $14-15 million per year. If he wants more, he has to keep making impact plays.