Bears Sign Impactful Super Bowl-Winning Safety After Ravens Loss

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Bears Sign Impactful Super Bowl-Winning Safety After Ravens Loss

Jake Elman · Athlon Sports

Wed, Oct 29, 2025 ·

3 min read

What to Know About New Bears Safety C.J. "Chauncey" Gardner-Johnson

Not only does Gardner-Johnson provide the Bears with experience, but he's a proven defensive back familiar with Allen's defensive scheme. Gardner-Johnson played for Allen in New Orleans from 2019-21, totaling 161 tackles and five interceptions over 43 games and 31 starts.

New Chicago Bears defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson (No. 8) opened the 2025 season with the Houston TexansCorey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gardner-Johnson then took his talents to Philadelphia , snagging a league-leading six interceptions for the Super Bowl runners-up. The Detroit Lions pounced on the former Florida Gators standout, signing him to a one-year, fully guaranteed $6.5 million contract.

A pectoral injury cost Gardner-Johnson most of the regular season, but he returned in time for Detroit's run to the NFC Championship Game. Gardner-Johnson tallied 12 tackles and an interception over three playoff games, though the Lions fell to the 49ers in the NFC title game.

Gardner-Johnson used his strong playoff run to earn a three-year, $27 million deal with the Eagles , and he immediately thrived under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. With his pec injury in the past, Gardner-Johnson intercepted six passes in a career-high 16 starts.

Luckily for the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson stayed healthy throughout the postseason and notched 14 tackles, including three in Philadelphia's 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs . The Eagles traded him and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Texans for 2022 first-round offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick this past March.

Don't expect to see Gardner-Johnson too much outside of the secondary, as he's only played three special teams snaps since the start of 2022.

What's Next for Gardner-Johnson and the Bears?

Last Sunday's road loss dropped the Bears to 4-3, and the path to only their third playoff appearance since the start of 2011 only gets tougher. NFL Media gives the Bears a 23% chance to reach the postseason, though those odds can increase to 31% with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.

The FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Bears as -2.5 road favorites (-110; bet $100 for a $190.91 payout) as of Wednesday morning. Chicago has not had a winning record since going 12-4 in 2018, and they've only finished above .500 four times since losing Super Bowl 41 after the 2006 season.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.