The Chicago Bears enter Sunday’s NFC North matchup against the Minnesota Vikings with momentum on their side. Winners of four of their last five games and suddenly in second place in the division, the Bears have legitimately entered the playoffs chat.
What might be the most surprising part of the Bears’ flip to a winning team is that they’ve done it without a few critical players on defense.
The most notable void in the starting lineup is at cornerback, where star defender Jaylon Johnson has appeared in only one game this season (Week 2 against the Detroit Lions).
Indeed, the Bears’ defense hasn’t been great without Johnson, but the fact that coordinator Dennis Allen has managed to make a ragtag group of defensive backs work (remember, Kyler Gordon has missed most of the season, too) has been enlightening, if nothing else.
It’s why, in a recent breakdown of every team’s top offseason trade chip, it’s Johnson who is viewed as a player who could bring the Chicago Bears a bounty of assets if they decide they can win without him.
Defensive lineman Gervon Dexter as also mentioned as a potential offseason trade candidate.
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“We could also go with Gervon Dexter Sr. here, if you prefer a less crucial, less expensive option,” Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “Regardless, the Chicago defense has proved deep enough up front and in the secondary that the team could afford to dangle either defensive regular. “
Jaylon Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million deal with the Bears in 2024. It was a deal that symbolized Poles’ commitment to his lockdown corner, making it hard to believe that he’d be viewed as a tradable asset just one season later.
Instead, Johnson’s return to the lineup will be viewed as a boon for a Bears team that’s struggled to defend the pass without him in 2025.
Chicago enters Week 11 ranked 26th in passing yards allowed per game (240.3), 29th in passing touchdowns allowed per game (2.2), and 29th in passing yards allowed per attempt (7.7).
In other words, the Bears need Jaylon Johnson. He isn’t getting traded.