|
If he signs his tender, Johnson would be set to
take home $19.8 million for the 2024 season barring a contract
agreement with the Bears before the NFL deadline of July 17.
"I think there is really good space for us to find the middle
ground. Again, we always have the tag to use, but I really would
like to get something done long term," Poles said at the NFL
Scouting Combine.
A second-round pick in 2020, Johnson was the highest-rated
cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2023, allowing a
passer rating of 33.3 in more than 500 coverage snaps.
Talks that began more than a year ago have not been fruitful.
Chicago's track record of not setting the market rate at a
position even when re-signing its own free agents led to trades
in similar situations. When linebacker Roquan Smith demanded $20
million per year, the Bears blinked and traded him to the
Baltimore Ravens.
Johnson and the Bears have been at odds since the trade deadline
in October, when Poles granted the lockdown cornerback
permission to seek a trade. Johnson was hoping for a new deal at
the time but said ongoing talks were progressing "slower than
expected."
"At the end of the day, it goes back to respect as well,"
Johnson said after the trade deadline passed last season. "You
can throw some numbers at someone and hope they take anything.
That's not what I'm looking to do. I'm looking for respect and
security."
--Field Level Media
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
