Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said yesterday that a groin injury prevented him from practicing in training camp, and his absence from the practice field had nothing to do with his contract. Johnson’s contract has, however, been adjusted, albeit in a move that appears designed to give the Bears some breathing room under the salary cap.
The Bears created $8 million in salary cap space by restructuring Johnson’s deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN. That gives the Bears more room to potentially make moves this season, but the $8 million will be pushed onto the Bears’ salary cap in future years.
Teams can restructure contracts in ways that make no material impact on the player but change how much of the player’s pay is on each year’s salary cap. But it’s also possible that the Bears included something in the restructured deal that made Johnson happier about his standing with the team. He said in an interview during the offseason that he might want to talk to the Bears about his contract after a string of other cornerbacks signed for more than the four-year, $76 million deal that Johnson signed with the Bears last year.
Johnson said he expects to play in the Monday night opener against the Vikings as his groin injury is getting better.
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