The Chicago Bears had a busy couple of days leading up to the NFL trade deadline. Rumors swirled about Jaylon Johnson wanting to be traded, although nothing came to fruition and he stayed in Chicago, at least for the rest of the season. On top of that, the Bears struck gold with a trade for Washington Commanders star Montez Sweat for a second-round pick.

The direction of this team remains up in the air, and the trade deadline activity sure didn't answer many questions. There are reasons to be concerned with both the Johnson and Sweat situations, as Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano report, and Fowler gave an insight into the Bears' outlook.

‘However, Chicago not laying the groundwork for an extension now seems shortsighted, though it can use the franchise tag next season. And I also keep going back to this: The presence of Sweat isn't going to monumentally shift this season for Chicago, a team that desperately needs draft capital to rebuild. That's why I at least understand why some league folks have a problem with the deal.'

Trading just a second-round pick for someone with the talent of Sweat is a win for the Bears, but then again, not having some sort of contract groundwork in place is a concern. If Sweat leaves in free agency after the season, then it's all for nothing.

Bears' stance with Jaylon Johnson 

Bears' Jaylon Johnson, question mark next to him.

 

Now, the situation with Jaylon Johnson is a totally different issue. And, despite Johnson asking for a trade, the Bears couldn't find a suitor and decided to keep him for the rest of the season. Now, the question is, will they be able to give him the money that he wants?

As it turns out, the two sides held contract negotiations, but the Bears reportedly gave Johnson a low offer, per Fowler:

‘The cornerback effectively halted negotiations Monday and plans to play out his rookie contract. No hard feelings. The Bears' offer to extend him was considered pretty low, and in talking to teams, they suspect he will jockey with Kansas City's L'Jarius Sneed as the top corners in free agency. In recent years, that market has paid around $15 million per season.'

A low offer for Johnson probably didn't go over well, and now the Bears will enter the 2024 offseason trying to lock up both Sweat and Johnson in hopes of solidifying this defense.