With just over two weeks until the NFL trade deadline, reports and rumors surrounding the Bears are starting to fly. The first big moment came earlier this week when Courtney Cronin reported that the Bears were gauging interest around the league in two key defensive players: Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson.
Just because teams are gauging interest doesn’t mean a deal is imminent. The team may just be doing its due diligence in case there is a sharp drop before the trade deadline. If the team moves either player, it would send a huge shockwave through the Bears’ locker room, but Darnell Mooney said the players don’t need to worry about trade reports or rumors. .
“Rumors happen all the time,” Mooney said. “But that’s the league. Things happen. It’s not really safe until the first week of November.”
The Bears made several franchise-changing trades last season, including the one that sent Roquan Smith to the Ravens. The team also had to say goodbye to Robert Quinn, who was respected as a veteran leader. These two moves happened within a week of each other last year, and the locker room changed significantly.
“That definitely stabbed me in the heart,” Mooney said. “Well, we just lost a brother, but at the end of the day, we still have to move on and we still have to go out and play on Sunday.”
If the Bears were to sell again this year and move Johnson or Jackson, it would hurt just as much.
“Jaylon is one of the best corners in the league,” Mooney said. “It would be crazy to trade that. Then we have BoJack. [Jackson], which means he’s dealing with some injuries, but BoJack is still BoJack. He’s still very active and I can see him missing when he’s not out and about. That would be another stab in the heart. ”
Mooney himself is no stranger to exchanging rumors. When the Bears entered the season with DJ Moore and Chase Claypool and it looked like Mooney could be No. 3 in the wide receiver pecking order, he saw his name among the potential contracts. He remembered hearing it surfacing. He said all he could do was prepare for a move if a deal was reached and balance the two options: stay or stay.
“There are definitely ups and downs,” Mooney said.
Johnson is one of the league’s premier coverage corners and is playing in the final year of his contract. It became clear that the Bears wanted to see an increase in his takeaway production before signing him to a new contract. So far, Johnson has forced one fumble in two games. The Bears drafted two cornerbacks this year, Tyrik Stephenson and Terrell Smith, but each rookie has played well this season and looks to them as potential replacements if the Bears don’t re-sign Johnson. there is a possibility.
Jackson has been one of the Bears’ most exciting players since the team drafted him in 2017. He was nominated for the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019, and after earning All-Pro honors in 2018, Jackson played for the Bears after a few down seasons. Jackson was in the midst of a renaissance season last year when he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 12. Jackson appeared to be fully healthy and ready to go at the beginning of this season, but he suffered an injury to the same foot last year due to Lisfranc. He has missed the last three games due to injury. Jackson has 14 interceptions in his career, including 10 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. Additionally, Jackson has scored six defensive touchdowns during his time with the Bears.
Click here to follow the Under Center podcast.
