Reportedly, the Steelers made a “strong push” for the Bears’ cornerback prior to the deadline
The Pittsburgh Steelers worked hard to acquire star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, but the Chicago Bears chose not to deal him.
Steelers’ interest in Jaylon Johnson
While the Steelers don’t fall into that category and currently lie as a fringe playoff team, a player like Jaylon Johnson could take an already elite defense to another level. Pittsburgh has stars across the line and a star safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick to back them up, but they haven’t had a consistent corner since Joe Haden.
According to Schultz, Johnson requested a trade from the 2-6 Bears Tuesday morning, but Chicago didn’t budge. The 24-year-old will be a free agent following the 2023 season, currently on his rookie deal. He came into the league as a highly touted cornerback, taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Pittsburgh will head back to the drawing board with a substandard secondary and the Bears will ride this out with a talented cornerback for a few more games. Chicago possibly believes that Johnson may re-sign with them after the season, or they’d just like to keep their foot on the gas and compete in 2023.
The Bears usually build themselves off defensive stars, so retaining Johnson could be a long-play chess move for them.