Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson swiped a Brian Hoyer pass intended for Davante Adams and raced 39 yards for the game-sealing touchdown late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 30-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
After hitting pay dirt, Johnson caught the attention of FOX cameras and made a gesture symbolizing the raining of imaginary money. When asked if the gesture had any specific meaning after his fourth-year professional win, Johnson responded.
“You damn right,” Johnson said, via the Chicago Tribune. “100%.”
Johnson netted two interceptions Sunday, also picking off Aidan O'Connell on the ensuing Raiders drive. They marked the first INTs for the 2020 second-round pick in 28 games. He had just one interception in his career entering Sunday — Week 2, 2021 off Joe Burrow.
Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown followed a drive where he was penalized for a substantial defensive pass interference. The cornerback acknowledged that the penalty was “not acceptable” and took responsibility for it. He made up for his error and then some.
The 24-year-old is in the last year of his initial contract, as an extension could not be agreed upon during the offseason. Johnson feels that his Sunday performance underscores his value and expressed his eagerness to negotiate an extension.
“Being aware of my capabilities, I am confident about my high-level performance in this game,” said Johnson. “I believe I deserve to be compensated accordingly. I will maintain this perspective with any team or anyone in the NFL. If it happens to be with the Bears, I’m ready to take it on.”
Johnson is a remarkable corner when healthy, with 34 career passes defensed to his name. He has also exhibited outstanding coverage in five games this season.
The question for Chicago is whether they believe Johnson is part of the future — he was not a Ryan Poles draft pick. If Poles doesn’t think he’ll be able to lock down Johnson long-term, the corner could be a trade piece ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline for the 2-5 Bears — rather than risk losing him in the offseason.
