NFL Rumors: Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Gets Permission to Seek Trade amid Contract Buzz

The Chicago Bears reportedly gave cornerback Jaylon Johnson permission to seek a trade ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson’s agent, Chris Ellison, received clearance at 12 a.m. ET, giving him 16 hours to find a trade partner before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Johnson, who was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Utah, is in the midst of the final year of his contract, meaning any team that acquires him may want to work out a long-term contract extension, otherwise he can become a free agent during the offseason.

The 24-year-old Johnson has been a starter for the entirety of his career, starting all 45 games he has appeared in over the course of four NFL seasons.

While he had a total of just one interception in his first three seasons, Johnson already has two picks in six games this season to go along with 18 tackles, four passes defended and one forced fumble.

Both of Johnson’s interceptions this season came in the Bears’ Week 7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and he returned one of them 39 yards for a touchdown.

Perhaps the lone question mark when it comes to Johnson is durability, as he missed a total of 11 games over his first three seasons with shoulder and finger injuries.

Johnson has also missed two games this season with a hamstring injury, but if his performance against the Raiders was any indication, he is now fully healthy.

Although the Bears have been a sieve defensively this season, ranking 23rd in the NFL in total defense and 28th in scoring defense, Johnson has been one of the lone bright spots.

Pro Football Focus has graded Johnson as the third-best cornerback in the NFL this season with a grade of 84.4, tying him with Seattle Seahawks rookie sensation Devon Witherspoon.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, sources have indicated that the San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles are in the market for a cornerback, making Johnson a potential target for all three teams.

At 2-6, the Bears are in rebuilding mode and primarily have their sights set on continuing to reshape their roster via the 2024 NFL draft.

Although there would be value in signing a talented, young corner like Johnson to a long-term deal, getting even more draft capital in exchange for him would help the rebuilding process as well.