LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears player who asked for a trade before the NFL deadline on Tuesday might have been a little surprised he was at Halas Hall in front of a microphone on Wednesday.

But Jaylon Johnson is still a member of the Bears, wearing a team hat as he addressed a simple question.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” said the cornerback when he was asked if he thought he would be traded before the Tuesday 3 p.m. Central Time deadline.

Of course, that didn’t happen, and Johnson will suit up for the Bears as their top defensive back against the Saints on Sunday afternoon at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The team may have made attempts to trade Johnson or even sign him to a new deal prior to the deadline, but both are out the door as possibilities at the moment.

So after an eventful Tuesday, does the fact that he didn’t get traded and still doesn’t have a long-term contract disappoint Johnson as he looks ahead to the final nine games of the 2023 season?

“Yeah, I would say as far as some things that I would want, I feel like nothing, in a sense, that I wanted has happened so far, as far as contract, trade, or anything like that,” said Johnson in response to that question. “I feel like there’s something bigger, maybe the timing wasn’t there, and again, I’ve always said that I’m gonna let God take the wheel on it and I don’t want to try to force anything, and since it didn’t happen, I feel like there’s a reason why some things haven’t happened yet.

“So I’m just going to continue to play ball and continue to grow, and see what happens after that.”

Johnson will look to add to a season where he has two interceptions, both against the Raiders including a “Pick Six,” along with four passes defended and a forced fumble in six games.

With all that has happened, does the cornerback still want to continue his career in Chicago past the final nine contests of this season?

“Yeah, I’ve said that since I got here,” said Johnson in response to that question.