Jaylon Johnson selected to first career Pro Bowl
The Chicago Bears star cornerback gained some more steam for a potential major contract extension this offseason on Wednesday night. The NFL released the official Pro Bowl rosters for the NFC and AFC conferences on Wednesday and Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was selected as one of the starting defenders for the NFC. The honor was […]
The Chicago Bears star cornerback gained some more steam for a potential major contract extension this offseason on Wednesday night.
The NFL released the official Pro Bowl rosters for the NFC and AFC conferences on Wednesday and Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was selected as one of the starting defenders for the NFC.
The honor was well deserved following Johnson's career season and will be his first career Pro Bowl nod. It also couldn’t have come at a better time.
Johnson is in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and is currently slated to be a free agent once the season comes to a close next week. The Bears defensive back is unlikely to sniff the free agent market but his future still remains a mystery.
The ongoing negotiations between the Bears front office and Johnson have been widely covered throughout the season after Johnson claimed he wanted to be paid among the top players at his position. Johnson requested a trade prior to the 2023 NFL trade deadline but the Bears were unable to find any suitors.
After the potential trade rumors fell apart, Johnson had no choice but to return to Chicago and continue playing out the remainder of the season at a high level, and he's done so heading into Week 18.
"At the end of the day, my level of expectations of play and making plays hasn't changed just because of the situation," Johnson said back in November. "I'm still going to continue to play the game at a high level, continue to reach to get interceptions and turn the ball over, and I only know that's going to make the value go up."
Johnson's value is sure to skyrocket following today's announcement. Johnson will be the first Bears cornerback to be named to the Pro Bowl since Kyle Fuller received back-to-back nods in 2018 and 2019.
Through 16 games, Johnson is tied for a team-high four interceptions in 2023 after entering into the season with one total interception through his first three seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson ranks first among all defenders allowing a 33.3 passer rating and is tied for fifth allowing 7.8 yards/reception (min. 500 coverage snaps).
Johnson has backed up his preferred contract value by playing as one of the league's top cornerbacks in 2023 and his Pro Bowl nod proves that. Bears general manager Ryan Poles stated he remains "open to getting a contract done" and will follow Johnson's lead, who publicly expressed his desire to remain in Chicago two weeks ago. It's time for the Bears to put their money where their mouth is.
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