Jaylon Johnson: I couldn’t see myself anywhere but Chicago

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson requested a trade before the deadline earlier this year and then said he wasn’t interested in talking about it Contract extension When no one has failed to achieve that, but he has a different perspective on the matter as the 2023 season winds down.

Johnson is playing the final year of the deal he signed as a 2020 second-round pick and is part of a defense that played well during the second half of the season. Johnson on Wednesday expressed interest in continuing to be a part of that defense in 2024 and beyond.

“I mean that’s all I know, honestly,” Johnson said, via Josh Schrock of NBCSportsChicago.com. “I couldn’t see Myself elsewhere. It’s easy to say, oh, you want to get out of somewhere until you get it and then say, “Oh, this may not be quite what I want.” But I would say for me, I want to stay here, and I don’t want to make this transition now. I feel like we’re building something special as well, especially with the guys in the locker room. I don’t think it’s something I can get anywhere else. I want to stick around and keep building and getting better at this thing, and damn, I want to win some games and get to the playoffs and make a push for Chicago as well.

Johnson said he’s “added some money to the value” with his play this season — 31 tackles, four interceptions, 10 passes defended and a forced fumble — so it doesn’t sound like he plans to accept anything the Bears send his way. . That could trigger the franchise tag if the Bears feel the same way about a future that includes Johnson.