After the Chicago Bears gave cornerback Jaylon Johnson permission to seek a trade on Monday, many were surprised that Johnson did not end up being moved before Tuesday’s NFL Trade Deadline.
Johnson, in the last year of his contract, has not agreed to an extension with the Bears so far, despite the sides being in talks throughout the year.
On Wednesday, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles met with the media and cleared things up a bit regarding Johnson.
“I don’t want to lose Jaylon Johnson,” Poles said. “If I were to lose Johnson, I would like to have a high chance of hitting on another Jaylon Johnson, which to me, is a late first, early second.”
Part of the reason Johnson was not traded was reportedly because no team would agree to send the Bears that late-first-round or early-second-round pick.
Johnson has been steadily improving into one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks since the Bears drafted him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Utah. He has two interceptions this season and a forced fumble and was ranked tenth among all cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus through the first six games of the season.
Despite not trading Johnson, the Bears did make a trade on Tuesday, acquiring defensive end Montez Sweat from Washington for a 2024 second-round pick. Poles also mentioned working on an extension for Sweat on Wednesday.
