Bears and Jaylon Johnson reach a 4-year, $76 million agreement, according to sources.

Sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Thursday that the Chicago Bears and standout cornerback Jaylon Johnson have reached an agreement on a four-year, $76 million contract that includes $54 million in guaranteed money.

Sources claim that Johnson will earn $28 million in the first year of the contract, with a $43.8 million guarantee at signing.

The Bears did not reveal the financial specifics of the four-year deal when they made the announcement on Thursday.

General manager Ryan Poles said in a statement, “We’re extremely excited to be able to keep Jaylon here for the next four years.” “He’s an integral part of our defense and his leadership will help our team continue to ascend.”

Although Poles had stated last week that he was certain the two would come to a long-term agreement, the Bears placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Johnson on Tuesday.

The Bears have now signed Tremaine Edmunds, a linebacker, to a four-year contract worth $72 million in March and signed Montez Sweat, a defensive end acquired through a trade with the Washington Commanders, to a four-year contract worth $98 million. Johnson’s deal is the team’s third major defensive investment of the past calendar year.

Johnson, who turns 25 in April, finished the previous season with a career-high four interceptions (including a pick-six), ten passes defended, one forced fumble, and thirty-six tackles. He was voted second-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Johnson, who was selected 50th overall in the 2020 draft, completed his rookie contract’s fourth year after failing to reach an extension with Chicago prior to the 2023 campaign. Johnson stated in July 2023 that he was aware at the time of how difficult it would be for him to command a contract at the top of the market given his lack of on-field accomplishments, which included just one interception in his first three seasons.

In training camp, Johnson commented that the signing of Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs to a five-year, $97 million extension was good for the defensive back market overall, but he didn’t think it would have an impact on his talks with Chicago.

The NFL’s official free agency period starts on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET, but teams can begin contract negotiations with players on March 11 and come to an agreement on terms.

Our NFL experts are here to break down everything you might possibly want to know about the free agent frenzy, so you can prepare for all the action. A summary of the franchise tag window, an overview of the best players available, a list of signal-callers who could sign with other teams, an analysis of the best player-team fits, and a look at the deepest positions are all included in this.

We also identify free agents who have injury concerns, could sign big contracts, or are excellent value additions. Finally, we preview teams that are either inclined to spend in the face of salary cap difficulties or are prepared to hold out for the time being. We conclude by analyzing the potential effects of transactions on the NFL draft in April and the fantasy football environment for the next season.

Twelve of our experts in total offer their opinions on one of the most chaotic weeks of the offseason. This convenient one-stop cheat sheet has everything. (As of March 7, salary cap figures are sourced from OverTheCap.)