Chicago is placing the franchise tag on Johnson (shoulder) on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The Bears are still reportedly optimistic about negotiating a long-term extension with Johnson, which both sides will have until mid-July to finalize. If no multi-year deal is reached, however, Johnson is now positioned to play out the 2024 campaign on a one-year, fully guaranteed contract of $19.8 million. Johnson racked up 36 tackles, 10 passes defended and four interceptions across 14 games in 2023, missing Chicago's regular-season finale due to a shoulder injury.