Bears, Jaylon Johnson agree to massive 4-year extension after being hit with franchise tag

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The franchise tag didn’t last long on Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson after the team announced Thursday that they agreed to a four-year extension to keep him in the Windy City long term.

Johnson’s extension has a price tag of $76 million with $54 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. The math over four years brings Johnson’s annual average value to $19 million per season. 

Johnson was the Bears’ choice to get hit with the franchise tag before the March 5 deadline at 4 p.m., though it was reported both sides wanted to continue working on a long-term deal. 

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Cornerback Jaylon Johnson and the Chicago Bears have agreed to a four-year contract extension. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

During the 2023 season, Johnson had actually put in a request to be traded from the Bears before the NFL deadline, but Chicago GM Ryan Poles kept him on the roster. Since then, they’ve been building their relationship back, and the Bears clearly value the 2020 second-round pick to keep him in the team’s secondary for years to come. 

The move to sign Johnson long term is something Poles alluded to last week, when he expressed confidence in getting a deal done. 

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It’s the third long-term deal Poles has made for his team’s defense. He locked up edge rusher Montez Sweat on a $98 million deal over four years following the trade with the Washington Commanders last season. And he signed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million pact in free agency this time last year. 

Johnson had requested a trade during the 2023