After an injury-riddled 2025 campaign that wasn't anywhere near his previous standard, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has made his intentions for the 2026 season clear.
Johnson was plagued by a groin injury from the word go last year. He had core muscle surgery after tearing an adductor muscle off his pelvic bone, and upon returning to action, he was clearly not himself. He probably shouldn't have returned to action when he did, if at all, but the Bears lacked viable cornerback options during their push to a division title.
Johnson getting back to being the No. 1 shutdown corner he can be is incredibly important to the success of the Bears' defense this season. Simply being able to move normally will go a long way toward him recapturing that form, and the signs thus far show he is on track to make it happen.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson ups the ante for himself this season
Johnson is well-regarded among Bears reporters for his general candor. So when he spoke to reporters after Saturday's training camp practice, his forthrightness showing his full thoughts about what's at stake for him personally this season was not surprising.
"This is definitely a contract year," Johnson said, via ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "We all know with the cap hit and all that stuff. It's definitely a contract year for me. At the end of the day, whether that's here, somewhere else, I've gotta put it on tape that I'm still a top guy in this league."
In 2024, when he was coming off a breakthrough season in 2023, the Bears signed Johnson to a four-year, $76 million contract extension. He has two years left on that increasingly team-friendly deal, with the timing of the deal winding down not an accident, according to the 27-year-old two-time Pro Bowler.
"I'm not a dummy," Johnson said. "We all know that and I've structured my deal a certain way to put myself back at the table at the age of 27. For me, it was always for this point to get here, and then show how I do what I do and be healthy and be out there doing what I do best and that's covering, that's making plays, being a difference maker. From there, wherever that contract talk goes, it goes."
Johnson currently carries a $25 million cap hit for 2027, with a $2 million roster bonus coming due on March 18. If he were cut or traded at any point next offseason (before or after June 1), the Bears would take on a $9 million dead money hit. With that in mind, he would be ripe for a contract extension or restructure early next offseason (if not sooner).
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Whatever happens, Johnson knows his performance this season will drive the conversation one way or another regarding his future as a Bear. If he puts himself back among the best perimeter corners in the league, he'll probably be around a while longer. If not, then there'll be plenty of questions.
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