In his quest for a contract extension, Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson hopes to establish himself as one of the NFL’s best

Let’s dive right into it. Here’s everything you should know about the contract status of Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

• He’s entering the final season of his rookie deal and hoping for a long-term extension.
• The state of those extension negotiations has been hard to pin down. But it certainly doesn’t seem like a new deal is imminent or even all that close.
• Johnson would love to have something done before the regular season arrives. “(Expletive),” he said Friday, “I want the deal done as soon as possible. But I’m not going to get caught up in it.”
• Johnson also understands he might have to play out the 2023 season and prove to his bosses that he is worth what he believes he is worth. “The way I see it, I still have a lot to earn,” he said. “I feel like I still have a lot to prove.”

There it is. In a nutshell. That business matter doesn’t seem to be consuming Johnson the way many in the outside world have wanted to frame it.

More than anything, Johnson wants to attack the season with purpose and propel the Bears to new heights.

“I’m looking forward to playing,” he said. “At the end of the day, I feel like we have a really good team. So I’m looking forward to winning. I haven’t had a winning season since I’ve been here. So I’m going to go in with this roster we’ve got and we’re going to rock out and win some ballgames.”

The escalating chatter on Johnson’s contract status was always inevitable but became a bigger topic when he skipped the first portion of organized team activities this spring.

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Johnson has been a key piece of the Bears defense since his 2020 arrival and has made career 39 starts. For a player the Bears hope to keep in their plans, the timing of at least engaging in extension conversation makes all the sense in the world. Johnson’s teammate Cole Kmet, another 2020 draftee, just landed his big payday this week, grabbing $32.8 million in guaranteed money on a four-year, $50 million extension.

But what is next?

“You just wait your turn,” Johnson said. “Everybody’s situation is different too. Cole’s situation isn’t necessarily my situation. Whatever my numbers are are going to be my numbers. So I’m not looking (at it like), ‘OK, Cole’s money is going to be my money.’ ”

Ryan Poles’ thoughts on potentially delivering a similar reward to Johnson?

“The relationship is good,” Poles said Thursday, emphasizing his desire to keep contract talks private. “He’s out here showing that he can perform at a high level and become the player that he wants to be and improve. That’s all I can really say.”

That left the stage to Johnson, who in his refreshingly forthright fashion answered a flurry of questions after the third practice of training camp Friday.

“I’m in a good position,” Johnson said. “And with whatever will happen, God willing, I can be a Chicago Bear and we’ll figure out a deal to get something done.”

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But what about the five-year, $97 million extension the Dallas Cowboys just gave to All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs? Does that mean anything to Johnson? After all, Diggs was the player drafted immediately after Johnson three years ago, with the duo selected at Nos. 50 and 51, respectively.

“We’re in two totally different ballgames,” Johnson said. “He’s an All-Pro. Seventeen picks in three years. He’s done some really good things. Hats off to him.”

Johnson knows his highlight reel of interceptions is much shorter. There’s just one as a matter of fact, a Week 2 theft of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in 2021.

Sure, Johnson has been reliable in coverage against opponents’ top receivers over his three seasons. But in the NFL, it’s the splash plays that allow a player to cash in. On defense, that means interceptions. Sacks. Touchdowns.

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Bears fans cheer for autographs after practice on July 27, 2023, during training camp at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Johnson knows as much. But he stressed Friday that he isn’t going to start pressing for interceptions in a way that knocks him off his game.

“There are certain ways to do it,” he said. “It’s not about going out there and playing stupid and just taking (unnecessary) risks and things like that. … But I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to be able to put myself in position. That’s something I’m looking forward to in Year 4. At the end of the day, I can’t not change what I’m doing and expect for the results to be different.

“For me, it’s about finding that adjustment I’m comfortable with and continuing to be myself while also continuing to get better and expand my game.”

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On the whole, Johnson said, his aggression and feistiness in press-man coverage sometimes limits his opportunities for interceptions. There’s more beyond that too. “I’m not getting gifts,” he said. “I don’t get the tipped passes other people get. I don’t get the underthrown balls. I don’t get any of that.”

Reflective and honest with his self-assessment, Johnson is driven to make a big leap in his fourth season. He also has made it clear he still believes he has All-Pro talent, viewing himself as one of the best lockdown cornerbacks in the league, even if his resume and current contract status don’t reflect that.

“Don’t get that twisted at all,” he said. “I’m still going to go out here and lock them cats up.”

Johnson is eager for that opportunity and hopeful for the potential treasure chest his contributions could unlock.