The Chicago Bears have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL in Ben Johnson's first season as the franchise's head coach. As the Bears prepare for a Black Friday showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, a mid-season signing of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has already proved valuable for Chicago, leaving Philadelphia wishing it had made the same move.
In late October, the Bears signed Gardner-Johnson in an attempt to address some injuries to their secondary after the Houston Texans had released the veteran in September. After giving up 24 unanswered points in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and seeing Sydney Brown struggle in place of the injured Andrew Mukuba, it was clear that Gardner-Johnson would have been an ideal fit for the Eagles in that situation. The Bears had other plans, though, and they have certainly worked out so far, as Gardner-Johnson has already made an impact in just four starts with Chicago.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson's Impact for Bears Leaves Eagles Wondering What Could Have Been
While Gardner-Johnson only has a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 53.3 (78th out of 94 qualified safeties), he has registered 20 total tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble in just four games in a Bears uniform. Brown had below-average grades in run defense (52.7) and coverage (61.6) in the loss to Dallas, and did not fit the mold of a reliable starter for Philadelphia moving forward. With two prior stints there and 12 of his 18 career interceptions in those two seasons with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson would have given the franchise a familiar face in its secondary and someone who could have made an immediate impact in light of the Mukuba injury.
The early returns suggest Chicago may have hit the jackpot with Gardner-Johnson. The chances of adding someone of his caliber during the season are not very likely, and the impact he can leave on this defense cannot be understated. Safety Jaquan Brisker believes the addition of Gardner-Johnson will help the Bears' secondary get in the head of their opponents and create more of an edge down the stretch. Chicago's defense is tied with the New York Jets for the 26th-most points allowed per game (26.5), but it has given up 20 points or fewer in two of the four games since Gardner-Johnson joined the secondary and leads the NFL in takeaways per game (2.2).
The Bears (8-3) are currently leading the NFC North, but still have notable games against the Packers (twice), Lions, and San Francisco 49ers remaining on their schedule after Friday's meeting with the Eagles. That is certainly a daunting task coming up, but the addition of Gardner-Johnson gives them a much better outlook than they would have had previously, leaving the Eagles regretting not making the move for him when they had the chance.