LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 17: General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears addresses questions after Kevin Warren was introduced as Chicago Bears president and CEO at Halas Hall on January 17, 2023 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Six days before the 2024 NFL free agent market opened up, the Chicago Beas managed to reach a long-term extension with one of their cornerstone players.
Yesterday, the Bears and Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson agreed to a lucrative four-year contract extension worth $76 million. The deal was reached shortly after Chicago placed the franchise tag on the 24-year-old.
It seems like a fair deal for a four-year veteran who just pieced together his best season yet. But interestingly, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that multiple league insiders were confused by Johnson’s agreement to this deal:
“Even with what we know, it’s a little alarming — and multiple league insiders are buzzing about it. The deal averages $19 million. Johnson could have made $19.8 million this year and, if tagged again in 2025, $23.76 million.
That’s $43.56 million over two years. The convention when it comes to turning a franchise tag into a long-term deal is to ensure that the first two years of the tag are fully-guaranteed at signing.
Maybe it is. Maybe the deal is front loaded. For now, however, there are real questions about whether Johnson got fair value for trading in the $19.8 million tag for 2024, and the availability of a 20-percent raise if tagged again.”
It’s easy to question Johnson’s decision from the outside, but one can easily understand why he accepted the Bears’ mammoth offer. Unfortunately, players are always prone to injury in the ultra-physical game of football. It’s awfully unpredictable, and nobody can know for sure when an injury or decline in production might take place.
There’s simply no guarantee that Johnson would stay healthy, nor any guarantee that he’d build off his career year. Because NFL contracts aren’t fully guaranteed, it was reasonable for Johnson to decide that he wanted to be paid long-term ASAP.
The 2020 second-round pick earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after tallying a career-high four interceptions to go along with 10 pass defenses and one forced fumble. For his career, Johnson has five interceptions and 41 pass defenses.
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