The Chicago Bears are heading towards a tough decision with cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
With three years in Chicago, the 23-year-old Johnson needs an extension to stay with the Bears beyond 2023.
But is he worthy of an extension next season?
Reasons To Give Johnson An Extension During The Offseason
While the young corner isn’t known as an interception machine, he’s a solid man coverage cornerback.
He’s gone against elite receivers in man coverage and done well against those players.
Kyler Gordon & Jaylon Johnson played well. Gordon is a great tackler and has a good feel for zone coverage. Johnson is really good in man coverage. PFF grades were:
Gordon – 76
Johnson -71#DaBears #ChicagoBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/ln4TwUTOdt— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) December 19, 2022
Finding a corner who can keep up with receivers in man coverage is a challenge.
However, Johnson shows how he’s a solid choice when running man coverage against teams.
But there are some concerns about extending him during the offseason.
Durability, Lack Of Interceptions Are A Concern With Johnson
With Johnson going on the IR to finish this season, durability is a concern with extending his contract.
With him missing multiple games this season, it can hurt his extension chances.
However, his career total of one interception over three seasons with the Bears also hurts him.
The Bears need someone who can remain healthy and force turnovers.
With Johnson failing to do this, the team might opt to wait until 2024 to decide on extending him.
Johnson Is Worth Keeping, But Not At A Premium
With three seasons under his belt as a starting cornerback, Johnson should have some better numbers than what he has currently.
While he’s able to deflect passes, he doesn’t make game changing turnovers.
Because of this, the Bears should only keep him if he’s not asking for a premium to stay with the team.
