The Buffalo Bills keep a key piece of their defense long-term with a new deal
The Buffalo Bills defense is playing excellent football to start the year and one of the reasons has been slot corner Taron Johnson. The team recognized that and ensured he would be with the team through the 2024 season with a three-year extension, which they announced on Saturday.
Johnson was a fourth round pick by the Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft and was currently in the final year of his contract. He stepped in as the team’s starting nickel almost immediately and played about half of the defensive snaps in 2018 and 2019.
He once again was the starter last year but got off to a rough start and was actually benched midway through the year. Johnson was replaced by Cam Lewis but he suffered an ankle injury early in his first start and Johnson returned to the starting lineup.
He looked like a different player from that point and has played exceptionally well with big plays in key moments. Johnson had a pick six in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers that gave the Bills a lead they never relinquished.
He also made the big play of the playoffs, and one of the biggest in franchise history, when he intercepted Lamar Jackson and returned it 101-yards for a touchdown.
This is a great move for the Buffalo Bills
Contract extensions in the middle of the season aren’t necessarily the norm but it was the right time and a smart move for this franchise. Taron Johnson has played great this season with 15 total tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and one forced fumble in only three games.
Last month, Leslie Frazier made it clear how Johnson is viewed by the coaching staff when he called him “one of the best slot corners in the league”, according to Maddy Glab.
Frazier says Taron Johnson has done a lot of work to understand the Bills defense, says there has been a lot of steady growth and that now he's one of the best slot corners in the league #Bills
— Maddy Glab (@MadGlab) September 20, 2021
The other reason this is a smart move is that the Buffalo Bills now ensure a majority of their secondary is with the team long-term. Last year, the Bills extended Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer and this offseason Micah Hyde also received a contract extension.
This means that four of the five starters in this secondary are now in place through the 2023 season.
The Buffalo Bills secondary is one of the best in the league and this contract extension for Taron Johnson makes sure this group stays in place for the next few seasons.