Veteran defensive back and Super Bowl champion C.J. Gardner-Johnson has found his next NFL home, joining the Chicago Bears’ active roster. The move comes after a turbulent stretch that saw the 27-year-old cycle through multiple teams in just a few months.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported: “Bears are signing S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to their active roster after his visit yesterday, per his agents Kevin Conner and Robert Brown of @unisportsmgmt. Gardner-Johnson now reunites with Bears DC Dennis Allen, who coached him with the New Orleans Saints.”
The Florida product entered the league as a fourth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 NFL Draft, where he remained for 4 seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. While in Philly, he recorded six interceptions in just 12 games to help lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance. After spending the 2023 season with the Detroit Lions, Gardner-Johnson returned to Philadelphia in 2024, where he notched 59 tackles, 12 passes defended, and tied his personal best with six interceptions, while helping to bring the Eagles the Super Bowl championship. Over his NFL career, Gardner-Johnson has appeared in 77 games, totaling 319 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 18 interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 51 passes defended.
This past offseason, the Eagles traded Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a future pick swap. His stint in Houston was brief — he appeared in three games, logging 15 total tackles before being released on September 23. Gardner-Johnson was then briefly with the Baltimore Ravens after signing to their practice squad on October 7, before being released a week later in a mutual decision following the team’s acquisition of safety Alohi Gilman from the Chargers.
Chicago is hoping that Gardner-Johnson will become a key addition to a Bears defense that was hit hard by injuries – with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon on injured reserve, and Tyrique Stevenson battling a shoulder issue. With starters Kevin Byard and Jaquon Brisker expected to remain at safety, Gardner-Johnson is expected to slide into a slot role to help stabilize the secondary.
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