Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been floated in NFL trade rumors heavily in the days leading up to the Oct. 31 deadline. Now, the Bears are reportedly moving forward on Tuesday with the idea of potentially trading their top defender.
Johnson, age 24, has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFC this season. Selected with the 50th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the former Utah Utes standout has demonstrated he can be a high-end starter on the outside who lines up in man coverage against No. 1 receivers.
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While Chicago has one of the worst defenses in football for the second consecutive year, Johnson likely isn’t in the team’s long-term plans. For as much as the Bears want to keep their top defensive back, his expiring contract and the cost of rising salaries for the highest-paid NFL cornerbacks have forced Chicago to explore a potential trade.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday night that Johnson formally requested a trade out of Chicago. The Bears’ front office attempted to sign the standout cornerback to a contract extension, but the two sides never made any tangible progress last week.
Chicago is very willing to move Johnson at the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Bears informed Johnson his agent is allowed to begin discussions with other teams. Chris Ellison, Johnson’s agent, now has less than 15 hours to try and find him a new home.
- Jaylon Johnson contract: $3.559 million cap hit in 2023, 2024 NFL free agent
With Johnson now available, following previous Bears trade rumors suggesting he would stay in Chicago, his trade market should ramp up quickly. Considering the absence of high-end cornerbacks on the trade market, the Bears should have success receiving quality offers on Tuesday.
- Jaylon Johnson stats: 4 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 9.5 yards allowed per completion
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Identifying Jaylon Johnson trade landing spots
Jaylon Johnson immediately becomes one of the best players available at the NFL trade deadline. Entering NFL games today, Johnson is credited with allowing just a 37.3 QB rating in coverage on 26 targets thrown in his direction (PFF). Furthermore, Pro Football Reference tracks him as allowing just a 47.8 percent completion rate in coverage this season.
Simply put, Johnson is the caliber of player who would be the missing piece for a defense and could potentially put them over the top.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Week 8 made it clear that adding Kevin Byard wasn’t enough to fix the Eagles’ secondary. While Johnson has dominated in Chicago, James Bradberry has allowed a 116.3 QB rating in coverage. Moving from Bradberry to Johnson would fix Philadelphia’s defense and arguably make the Eagles the best team in football.
- San Francisco 49ers: In the last two games, the 49ers’ defense allowed a 118.7 QB rating and 644 passing yards with five touchdowns. Adding another pass rusher would be great, but the 49ers’ secondary hasn’t been particularly good for two seasons now. Johnson would likely only be a short-term addition for San Francisco, but he could help them regain their status as one of the league’s top teams.
- Detroit Lions: For as good as the Detroit Lions defense looks at times, there’s no denying some issues in the secondary. It was obvious on MNF, Jimmy Garoppolo just missed a bunch of throws to Davante Adams. With Brian Burns off the trade block, Detroit’s best option is landing a No. 1 cornerback. The Chicago Bears don’t have any major reservations about trading within the division and Detroit could offer a strong return.
- Buffalo Bills: No NFL team needs Jaylon Johnson more than the Buffalo Bills. With Tre’Davious White and Matt Milano lost for the season, the Bills’ pass defense has regressed significantly. Johnson is the one player who could immediately step in and be an effective No. 1 cornerback for Buffalo. They don’t necessarily have the cap space to re-sign him, but this front office must be aggressive in a closing Super Bowl window.
