The Chicago Bears added some much-needed secondary depth to their roster on Wednesday morning when Dan Wiederer of The Athletic reported that the team is signing safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to its active roster.
Gardner-Johnson will be reporting for his fourth team this calendar year after starting with the Philadelphia Eagles and cameo appearances with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. A versatile player, Gardner-Johnson also becomes “a chess piece” for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and can make up for a secondary that currently has nickel corner Kyler Gordon on injured reserve and Tyrique Stevenson out with a shoulder injury.
With Gardner-Johnson’s previous connection with Allen during his time with the New Orleans Saints, the signing makes sense. That history between player and coach also adds a layer of intrigue, given Gardner-Johnson’s history with Allen stemming from his departure in New Orleans and a play early in the 2024 season.
Bears’ Allen Reunites with Gardner-Johnson After Controversial Split
Gardner-Johnson has become one of the NFL’s most controversial players, angering teammates and even Taylor Swift fans in recent seasons. But he started his career as a fourth-round pick of the Saints in the 2019 draft, logging 161 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three sacks, five interceptions, and 28 pass defenses over three seasons.
Eventually, Gardner-Johnson wore out his welcome in New Orleans and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2022 season. The trade helped Gardner-Johnson break out in Philadelphia, logging an NFL-high six interceptions to go with 67 total tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and eight pass defenses. But Allen stood by his trade late in the year, citing that it was what was best for the team.
“Look, we made a decision, a business decision, and then you move forward with that,” Allen said via Terrin Waack of the New Orleans Times-Picayune in December 2022. “You don’t really look back and play the what-if game. It was something that we felt like was the best thing for our team at that point in time and then we moved forward.”
Gardner-Johnson went on to have an injury-plagued 2023 season with the Detroit Lions, but returned to the Eagles in 2024 to face Allen’s Saints in an early-season matchup. During that game, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith suffered a concussion when he was wrapped up by Saints defenders Paulson Adebo and Pete Werner, while Khristian Boyd came in and hit Smith high. The play drew the ire of Gardner-Johnson, who went on to question the Saints’ culture under Allen after the game.
“[It’s] the dirtiest s*** I ever saw in football, bro,” Gardner-Johnson said after the game via ESPN’s Tim McManus. “Y’all obviously saw forward progression was stopped. For them to take a cheap shot on one of our key players, it goes to show what type of team that is.”
Allen responded by telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell that his team doesn’t “play dirty” but instead “plays hard” while insisting Boyd was finishing a play. Allen was fired later that season, and Gardner-Johnson was later traded to the Texans after the 2024 season, but now the two sides have met again in Chicago.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s Latest Stop with Bears Could Be His Last Chance in NFL
With all of this drama, it’s fair to question why Gardner-Johnson is walking through Halas Hall. His previous stops generated more harm than good, and it’s possible that his addition could be as short-lived as it was with the Texans and Ravens earlier this season. But a simple answer is that it is a partnership of convenience.
After being released twice this season (once by his request), Gardner-Johnson is running out of chances in the NFL. While he may have taken exception to Allen’s culture in the past, he also knows that Allen has familiarity with his game and could put him in the best position to succeed. This could lead to another opportunity in Chicago or somewhere else ahead of the 2026 season and keep his career alive.
The Bears also need depth in the secondary, and Allen may have vouched for Gardner-Johnson, knowing their previous relationship. If it doesn’t work, the Bears can release Gardner-Johnson with little penalty and can go back to the drawing board and try another option.
At this point, both sides clearly need each other, and it could lead to a second chance or another tumultuous chapter between Allen and Gardner-Johnson in Chicago.