Jaylon Johnson Disrespected in Latest Bears Tier Rankings

The Chicago Bears have a young nucleus that makes all fans excited for the future. From players on offense like Caleb Williams, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland to defenders like Austin Booker, Kyler Gordon, and Jaylon Johnson, the Bears' future is bright.

That said, a recent article from The Athletic suggests Jaylon Johnson could be out of the Bears' plans as soon as 2027. The suggestion that Johnson won't be a Bear after 2027 is borderline ludicrous.

The Athletic Believes Jaylon Johnson Could be Out of Chicago by 2027

Every year prior to the NFL Draft, the Bears beat writers for The Athletic rank players in tiers. This is meant to help fans understand how the team may be viewing some of their favorite players.

The top tier of the list is the Foundational players the Bears are going to build around. To no one's surprise, Williams, Loveland, Burden, Rome Odunze, Coby Bryant and Darnell Wright were all on the list. Along with veterans like Jonah Jackson, Joe Thuney, Montez Sweat, and Kyler Gordon.

Shockingly, though, Johnson was relegated to the tier below these players, titled "Potential foundational players — potential 2027 cap casualty category". Labeling Johnson as a potential cap casualty in 2027 seems like an overreaction.

The 26-year-old missed most of last season with a groin injury and didn't look like himself when he returned. However, he's just two years removed from being one of the league's lockdown corners.

In 2024, Johnson recorded the 17th-best coverage grade at 74.2 and the 16th-best run defense grade for a CB at 79.9, according to PFF. His raw grade doesn't tell the full story, because quarterbacks rarely tested him in the first place. Thus, each reception against him becomes more damaging to his grade.

Moreover, putting older players like Jackson and Thuney in the foundational tier over Johnson is just incorrect. While the Bears won't cut a player like Thuney, he is 33 years old. This means he is more likely to retire entering the 2027 season than Johnson is to get cut.

In addition, it's hypocritical to place Johnson in the potential cut category and not Gordon. Both players missed significant time last season due to injuries. Though Gordon is younger, he has dealt with soft tissue injuries, which are notoriously harder to recover from.

The only point that the Athletic has ground to stand on is Johnson's contract. In 2027, he is set to make $25 million; however, if the Bears cut him, the dead cap penalty is only $9 million. This would save Chicago $16 million against the cap going into the 2027 season.

Nevertheless, Jphnson would have to have another season as he had in 2025 to even consider this. Although nothing is off the table, if he is able to stay healthy, most Bears fans are optimistic he will play better in 2026 because of the dedication he has to his craft.