With several injuries to the secondary this season, the Chicago Bears are signing veteran Chauncey “C.J.” Gardner-Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The 27-year-old defensive back has a history with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who had him in New Orleans from 2019 to 2021, and a history with head coach Ben Johnson, who was on staff in Detroit when C.J. played there in 2023. He entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2019, and the Bears will be the sixth franchise he’s played for.

He began the 2025 season as a starting safety for the Houston Texans, where he racked up 15 tackles in three games before being released on September 23. His most recent gig was a brief one-week stint on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.

Gardner-Johnson (5’11”, 208)

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