RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 10: Jaylon Johnson #1 of the Chicago Bears lines up before the snap during an NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When we started the Cash, Stash, or Slash exercise, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about including Jaylon Johnson. Johnson is only under contract for two years, so he would be an extension candidate after this season, but with the injuries and the change in defense, I felt better to leave Jaylon be and see how this season plays out for him.
But when Jaylon Johnson met the media at the beginning of training camp, he feels that this season is a contract year for him and that he needs to show the Chicago Bears who he is as a player in 2026, that 2025 isn’t the player he is, and that he should receive a fresh contract that keeps him in Chicago for a few more years.
So if Jaylon Johnson thinks it’s a contract year, who are we to argue?
Jaylon Johnson: Stash
I don’t see how it’s at all possible to try and make any determination as to what the future holds for Johnson. First of all, you have to be concerned about injuries for Johnson. Let’s not forget that Johnson was a first-round talent that fell to the Bears in round 2 because of injury concerns. And while Johnson did play in all but 3 games in 2023 and 2024 combined, in his other 4 NFL seasons, he’s missed a combined 21 games. A player that has missed a season and a half worth of games in six seasons is something to be concerned about when you are offering up a contract extension to a player who will be 28 in 2027.
You also have to look at performance. And I think most of us believe that the drop-off in Johnson’s play last year was 95% related to injuries and that, when he’s healthy, he would be much closer to the player he was in 2023 and 2024 than the player he was in 2025. But if Johnson’s play recovers slightly, but he’s still far from the player he was, his contract is fairly forgiving if the Bears want to get out of it one year early.
Johnson is a player who it’s very possible to see all three possible outcomes. You could see the Bears releasing him and going in a new direction next year, you could see the Bears signing him and making him a part of the defense’s future, or you could see the Bears telling Johnson they want him to play out his 2027 season and they can decide what they want to do with him in 2028. Every single one of those is not only possible, but I feel they are all fairly equal in terms of the probability that that’s the outcome that happens.
If Johnson misses a huge amount of time again this season, there’s just no way the Bears are going to pay him the $24 million he’s owed in 2027. If Johnson plays well, but isn’t elite and is relatively healthy, it’s very likely that the Bears would be willing to bring him back in 2027 at the $24 million and see how things go in the final year of the deal. If Johnson stays healthy and is lights out again like he was back in 2023, how do you not extend him based on three of the last four seasons being excellent?
Johnson is a mystery at this point. First and foremost, Johnson needs to be healthy in Chicago in 2026, and if he manages to do that, positive things will most likely follow.
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