Bears place franchise tag on cornerback Jaylon Johnson - ESPN

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on cornerback Jaylon Johnson on Tuesday, the team announced.

This was the expected outcome after the Bears and Johnson did not reach an agreement on a long-term deal prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. Last week at the NFL combine, general manager Ryan Poles said that he had hoped to avoid using the franchise tag on the 24-year-old cornerback and believes there is «really good space for us to find the middle ground.»

Poles said that conversations with Johnson's representation were going «well» and expressed confidence in the offer that had been extended to the cornerback.

«We feel like we've done a really good job coming to the table strong and showing the respect that he's due just in terms of his production through his career and really an emphasis on the turnovers he created this past year,» Poles said. «Our expectation is that's going to continue to go as he's with the Bears.

»When I say come strong, that means cash flows are strong, guarantees are strong, the term is strong for him; being with his age, there's a really good opportunity to go back to the market again and continue to earn money and play well and hopefully that's with the Bears for a long period of time, so I'm excited about that."

The franchise tag will guarantee Johnson a $19.8 million salary for 2024. This is the first time the Bears have used the franchise tag since 2021, when Chicago's previous front office tagged wide receiver Allen Robinson.

Nonexclusive franchise tags allow players to engage in negotiations with other teams, but the player's original team retains the right to match any competing offer or is entitled to two first-round picks if a player joins a new team.

Johnso