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Steelers Targeting Bears For Another Big In-Season Trade To Upgrade Cornerback Position A Possibility

Originally posted on Steeler Nation | By Zac Franciscus | Last updated 10/12/23

The Pittsburgh Steelers had the kind of 2023 offseason and preseason that most NFL teams dream of. Yet, during the 2023 regular season, those supposed improvements have yet to bring much success. One particular area that the Steelers took major strides to overhaul was the cornerback position group. Somehow, going into their 2023 bye in Week 6, that is hardly the reality of the situation. The aggressive nature of the offseason may translate into the Steelers making a move to add to their secondary once again.

Steelers Could Be Eying Chicago Bears Cornerback

Jaylon Johnson is a former second-round draft pick, being taken by the Chicago Bears in the 2020 NFL Draft. For the Bears, who invested a high-value pick in Johnson, the returns haven't been what they may have hoped. Playing in his fourth professional season, Johnson has only managed a single interception (in 2021). The extent of his impact in Chicago during the 2023 season has been a forced fumble, but for a player who was taken in the second round, that isn't enough.

Despite not making a splash yet in 2023, Johnson currently has an 80.1 Pro Football Focus grade, which speaks to the unsung work he does while other players get the statistics. While his time with the Bears hasn't been what either side envisioned so far, giving Johnson the chance to start fresh could be the spark he needs to finally reach his pre-draft potential.

NFL insider and former NFL scout, Matt Williamson made it known on X/Twitter that Johnson may be one of the potential trade targets that the Steelers have under consideration.

Good trade target for #Steelers: Jaylon Johnson, CB, #Bears
— Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) October 11, 2023

Johnson, sporting a 6'0" height and a 196 lb. frame, could benefit from the mix of veteran presence and youthful energy in the Pittsburgh cornerback group. Omar Khan burst onto the scene in his first offseason as the Steelers general manager with an aggressive style and legitimate strategy. This would be exactly the kind of move that used to surprise, but is now realistic.

Steelers Fans Know Trade History With Chicago

Johnson has dealt with a hamstring injury in 2023 that has limited him to three games, but recent reports out of Chicago have him returning to practice. That is definitely something that the Steelers will have their eyes on, but the fact that he is back to practice is a great sign if he truly is in their sights for a potential trade.

I've been seeing Jaylon Johnson's name being mentioned with the Steelers a lot today. Here's some video of the Bears 6'0" 195 pound 24 year old CB. https://t.co/R40zAZUMWK pic.twitter.com/EsIlH05tKZ
— Billy Hartford (@BudDupreeFan) October 11, 2023

Khan is certainly familiar when it comes to dealing with the Bears. The infamous Chase Claypool trade sent a difficult, underperforming receiver to Chicago while bringing in what ended up being the first pick of the second round in the 2023 NFL Draft. Claypool isn't even in Chicago anymore, with the Bears shipping him off to the Miami Dolphins. The cost for Claypool this time around? The Dolphins sent a 2024 sixth-round pick, while the Bears offloaded Claypool along with a 2025 seventh-round pick.

It's doubtful that Khan could get another one-sided trade out of the Bears, but that doesn't mean he can't find value where Chicago has been unable to. Don't forget that while Claypool may be brutally mediocre now, his 2020 and 2021 seasons with Pittsburgh were truly impressive. Ever since then, though, it's been a sharp decline.

If the Steelers decide to pull the trigger on Johnson, this could be a reversal of the Claypool situation. Pittsburgh could get production when Chicago wasn't able to, instead of the Steelers getting a ton out of Claypool, and then the Bears got nothing. It is all still in the realm of the potential, but with Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson not living up to their billing, there is a need for a possible 2023 trade upgrade. The "Khan Plan" worked pretty well the first time around, so why not let it ride again and see what happens?

Would Jaylon Johnson be a good fit in Pittsburgh?

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

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