Jaylon Johnson sends warning to Bears about a Montez Sweat extension
The Chicago Bears chose not to trade star cornerback and impending free agent Jaylon Johnson before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Instead, the team traded a second-round pick to bolster their pass rush, acquiring edge-rusher Montez Sweat, who’s also in the final year of his contract.
The Bears didn’t lock Sweat up to a long-term contract extension — something many believed would happen with whatever team traded for him. Sweat landing a new contract before Johnson is something the 24-year-old CB admitted wouldn’t sit right with him.
"No, it wouldn't," Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. "For sure."
Both Johnson and Sweat are just months away from free agency. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Bears plan to make an effort to sign Sweat to an extension before the end of the season — something they showed little interest in doing with Johnson, despite general manager Ryan Poles stating he wants to reward his own players before pursuing potential free agents.
Sweat came to Chicago with an expiring contract — a byproduct of the Washington Commanders wanting to see if he could earn a big-money deal with a strong performance in his contract year.
"Honestly, I didn't really think too much of it,” Johnson said of the Bears acquiring Sweat. “It'll be a different situation...I know he's up for a contract as well. It would be a different situation if it was a trade then signed. That would be something I would feel more so than just an initial trade. I know the opportunity is there, and somebody has to get paid. I know that.”
The Bears are projected to have north of $110 million in cap space in 2024, per Over the Cap, so they should be in good position to re-sign both. Despite Johnson seemingly taking a backseat to Sweat, Poles maintains re-signing Johnson is still a priority.
“We are still open to getting a contract done,” Poles said. “I know we’re going to follow Jaylon’s lead on how he wants to go about doing that, but we’re still open.”
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