Not often does a player firmly in their prime at such a premium position have an opportunity to hit the open market, but that’s a possibility for Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson, who is entering his age-25 season, broke out in a big way in 2023, finishing as PFF’s No. 1 graded cornerback (90.8) en route to earning his first career Pro Bowl nod.
In 14 games, Johnson recorded 36 combined tackles, 10 pass deflections, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and a forced fumble while allowing a 31.0 passer rating when targeted.
While Johnson has gone on the record to say that his “heart’s definitely in Chicago,” he followed it up by saying that his “mind’s definitely on the money.”
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has also stated that “Jaylon’s [Johnson] not going to go anywhere,” so there seems to be mutual interest in finding common ground on a long-term deal.
However, if for some reason a deal is not reached, these are three ideal landing spots for Johnson in free agency.
3. Tennessee Titans
If Johnson’s mind is truly on the money, the Tennessee Titans present an opportunistic destination. They have the second-most cap space in the NFL as things stand with roughly $80 million to work with. The Titans can make Johnson one of the league’s highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL and beat out virtually any team in a bidding war if they need to.
Moreover, cornerback is a position of need for Tennessee, considering the team’s struggles defending the pass in 2023 and the pending free agency of starters Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting. The Titans ranked 29th in opponent completion percentage (67.78) and 23rd in yards per attempt allowed (6.8) this past season.
With first-year head coach Brian Callahan now taking over, the Titans could benefit from signing Johnson and giving their new coach as much talent to work with as possible. Tennessee has an opportunity to spend big on free agents while their quarterback, 2023 second-round pick Will Levis, is still on a rookie-scale contract.
This pairing makes sense for both sides, with Johnson potentially getting the big payday he is seeking and the Titans addressing an area of need while maximizing the talent surrounding their rookie head coach and second-year quarterback while the latter carries a $2-3 million cap hit over the next three seasons.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
Like the Titans, the Las Vegas Raiders are a team with significant cap space and a need to upgrade the cornerback position. And while Antonio Pierce has nine games of coaching experience under his belt as an interim in 2023, it is his first season as the team’s full-time head coach.
Amik Robertson, who has started all 17 games for the Raiders in each of the past two seasons, will be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year, and what better way is there to replace him than to sign the top cornerback on the market?
Pierce’s presence on the sidelines made a massive impact on the Raiders, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. As a former linebacker, Las Vegas could play to their coach’s strength and built one of the league’s most ferocious units led by Johnson and Maxx Crosby.
However, it should be noted that while the Raiders have an abundance of cap space, they could elect to devote a large portion of it to signing a quarterback this offseason in light of the pending release of veteran Jimmy Garropolo.
Las Vegas could look to find their next signal-caller through the draft, which Pierce has recently hinted at, which could allow the Raiders to pursue Johnson and fill out the remainder of their defense.
1. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions were arguably the NFL’s most exciting and fun team to follow in 2023. They shocked the world by winning their first division title in 30 years en route to reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991, where they were a half away from their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history before blowing a 17-point lead.
Heading into 2024, there is now a target on Detroit’s back like never before, but head coach Dan Campbell has gone on the record to let everyone know the Lions are “still on the hunt,” and a splash free-agency signing like Johnson could put the rest of the league on notice.
While the Lions enjoyed great success this past season, their secondary woes were an Achilles heel for the team all season. Detroit ranked 31st in opponent passing yards allowed per game (257.0) and surrendered the third-most yards per pass attempt (7.4) while allowing 1.7 touchdown passes per contest, good for 27th in the NFL.
Johnson would be a welcome addition who gives the Lions a bonafide No. 1 cornerback who can shut down the opposing team’s top wide receiver weekly. However, the pending contract extension of quarterback Jared Goff looms, which will impact Detroit’s financial flexibility for this offseason.