Bears sign veteran DB to shore up injury-riddled secondary

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WGN) — The Chicago Bears have signed defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the active roster, according to team officials.

The move comes as the Bears go about preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals—a team that features high-powered wide receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins—with an increasingly depleted secondary.

Chicago’s top three corners are all sidelined with various injuries. Jaylon Johnson (core) and Kyler Gordon (groin/calf) are both on injured reserve, while Tyrique Stevenson was held out of their Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a shoulder injury, and was limited in Wednesday’s practice at Halas Hall.

“We’ve had some injuries over the course of the last few weeks. Our injury report last week was pretty healthy, and then this week … we got guys dinged up and in-and-out,” Ben Johnson said on Wednesday. “So, we had an opportunity and [Gardner-Johnson] was available. He’s a good football player [and] there’s a number of us that have been with him in the past, so it’s a good fit.”

According to Johnson, the Bears’ goal with Gardner-Johnson is to “lock him in one spot and have him learn the defense,” with that one spot being on the inside of Chicago’s secondary.

“He’s been with [Dennis Allen] and so, he should have some familiarity, but he’s also bounced around to a few different other systems over the last few years,” Johnson said. “We’ll see how quickly it comes back to him and whether he’ll be ready to go this week or not.”

Gardner-Johnson is a seven-year pro who has logged 77 games with four other NFL franchises, most notably the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions.

In two separate stints with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson shared the NFL lead in interceptions with six in 2022, and helped lead a Philadelphia defense that contributed toward a Super Bowl championship in 2024. He started all four postseason outings in the Eagles’ secondary en route to a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gardner-Johnson was also a fourth-round selection (105^th overall) by the Saints in 2019, where he spent three seasons under current Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen when he was the DC in New Orleans.

Gardner-Johnson also spent 2023 in Detroit when Johnson was serving as offensive coordinator for the Lions. He spent a large chunk of the year on injured reserve with a right leg injury, but was able to return before the playoffs. In three playoff starts with Detroit, Gardner-Johnson notched 12 total tackles, one pass defensed, and his lone career interception in the postseason—a first-quarter pick of Baker Mayfield on a pass intended for Mike Evans during the Lions’ 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round.

“All I know is he’s a competitive player. I felt that during training camp that year I was with him early in the season, and then when he came back late in the season,” Johnson said. “He loves being on the grass and playing football, and so we’ll make sure that we have a good support system for him.”

Gardner-Johnson has recorded 315 total tackles (241 solo tackles), 51 passes defensed including 18 interceptions, as well as 22 tackles for loss, including four sacks, for the Saints, Eagles, Lions and Houston Texans (2025).

In 13 postseason appearances (10 starts), Gardner-Johnson secured 50 tackles (30 solo), one interception, as well as one tackle for loss and four total passes defensed.

A native of Cocoa, Fla., Gardner-Johnson played three years at Florida (2016-18), where he appeared in 37 games (26 starts) and totaled nine interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. Gardner-Johnson was named Most Valuable Player of both the Outback Bowl (2016) and the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (2018), tallying multiple interceptions in each performance for the Gators.