Jaylon Johnson says he wants to keep his position with the Chicago Bears.

Jaylon Johnson says he wants to keep his position with the Chicago Bears.

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson reiterated his desire to remain with the team for the long term.

There haven’t been many updates on the progress of the contract talks between Jaylon Johnson, the starting cornerback for the Chicago Bears, and the team since the NFL Trade Deadline.

Despite allowing the seasoned cornerback to pursue a trade at the deadline, the Bears never considered a real trade for Johnson. Following the deadline, Ryan Poles, general manager of the Bears, gave the impression that the team valued Johnson’s contribution to the defense.

Johnson did express again this week that he wants to play for the Bears in the long run.

The Bears’ relationship with Johnson is unfolding, for better or worse, much like the team’s relationship with former linebacker Roquan Smith should have. By all accounts, Smith desired to stay in Chicago for the duration of his

career, and the Bears wanted to keep him. The problem, Smith’s inexperience as a first-year general manager and his lack of agency, caused the negotiations to become personal. The Bears traded Smith to the Baltimore Ravens as a result of hurt feelings.

Thankfully, things haven’t gotten that bad between Johnson and the Bears. The Bears and Johnson’s negotiations have thus far proceeded according to the usual script. Although it would seem unlikely, the franchise tag is

imminent, and the Bears will need to negotiate a contract deal with Johnson this off-season. In order to give the Bears one more season to negotiate a long-term contract with their top cornerback, Johnson has expressed no objection to the franchise tag.