Bears place franchise tag on Johnson
The Bears have placed the franchise tag on star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, per multiple reports.
It appears the Bears and Johnson could not work out a long-term contract extension before the 3 p.m. Tuesday franchise tag deadline. Without a new contract, the franchise tag became the last resort for the Bears to keep Johnson under contract for the 2024 season.
Both the team and Johnson probably would have preferred to agree on a multi-year contract. Bears general manager Ryan Poles said as much last week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“I’d like to avoid the franchise tag for him,” Poles said. “I think there is really good space for us to find the middle ground. Again, we always have the tag to use but I really would like to get something done long term.”
Instead, the Bears will keep Johnson in Chicago on a one-year, $19.8 million franchise tag deal. The Bears and Johnson now have until July 15 to agree to a contract extension. If they cannot agree by then, negotiations will stop until after the 2024 season.
The Bears have not used the franchise tag since they tagged receiver Allen Robinson in 2021.
Johnson was likely seeking a contract that would have paid him north of $20 million per season. He was a Pro Bowl and second-team AP All-Pro selection last season. The 2020 second-round draft pick is coming off the best season of his career. He totaled four interceptions and one forced fumble.
He’s also an elite cover corner, even when he’s not making a play on the football. If he did hit free agency, Johnson likely would’ve been the most sought-after cornerback on the free agent market.
What happens next is anybody’s guess. Johnson has said that he wants to remain in Chicago. At the same time, he also requested a trade in October as the trade deadline approached. The Bears ultimately didn’t move him, and Johnson played out the final year of his rookie contract in Chicago.
Tagging Johnson gives Poles and the Bears more time to work out a deal. Once Johnson signs his one-year franchise tag tender, his salary for 2024 will be fully guaranteed. Until he signs his one-year tender, the Bears cannot trade Johnson. The team also could withdraw its tender if it remains unsigned, but Johnson would immediately become a free agent.
If Johnson doesn’t sign his tender before OTAs or minicamp, he likely wouldn’t participate. Franchise tag players could sit out the season, but that rarely happens. They are not paid if they do so.
For the Bears, a $19.8 million price tag is hefty, but they have the salary cap space available to manage it. They were projected to have $75.4 million in space heading into free agency before tagging Johnson. Johnson’s number will diminish that to about $55.6 million, but the team still has more available cap space than most NFL teams.
Other players who were tagged ahead of the 2024 season include Tampa Bay safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Baltimore defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, Carolina pass rusher Brian Burns, New England safety Kyle Dugger, Jacksonville pass rusher Josh Allen and Indianapolis receiver Michael Pittman Jr.