Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson falls at position ranking

Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson falls at position ranking

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Jul 17, 2026 6:16 PM ET

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Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson had money on his mind last summer.

One year after signing a four-year, $110 million extension, Johnson told the Rich Eisen Show before training camp in July that he hoped to produce at a high level in 2025 so he’d be in line to ask for a pay raise this offseason.

“Just seeing a lot of the other corners getting paid — I almost feel like we might have another discussion coming up here soon,” Johnson said. “The market is moving, the market is moving.

“As long as I just keep being myself, keep playing at a high level, definitely going to have to be some more conversations coming up soon and really keep it long term. So, I’m looking forward to that.”

At the time, Johnson was ranked by sources around the league as the No. 8 best cornerback in the league, per ESPN.

Things have changed for the worse since then.

Johnson missed 10 games last season with groin and core muscle injuries, the latter needing surgery to repair. He did return in time to play in the postseason.

Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson falls in rankings

Johnson has since fallen out of the top 10 cornerback’s ranking for the upcoming season, though an NFL personnel evaluator told Jeremy Fowler that he should return to full strength if he stays healthy and is able to practice in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system.

“Time on task has been an issue,” the evaluator said. “He missed a lot of camp and game action. But he’s young (27), so he should be able to get back to his top form. He’s got juice when he’s full tilt.”

Time on task hasn’t just been an issue for Johnson. The Bears’ second-best cornerback, Kyler Gordon, dealt with soft tissue issues last season, only playing in three games. He dealt with a soft tissue injury this spring, causing the cornerback to miss OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

The injuries to Gordon and Johnson have not been easy for Bears head coach Ben Johnson or Allen to deal with, and were part of the reason why the defense wasn’t that good last year.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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