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Bears sign ex-Packers, Giants safety after missing 2025 with injury
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- Bears sign ex-Packers, Giants safety after missing 2025 with injury
Bears sign ex-Packers, Giants safety after missing 2025 with injury appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Chicago Bears have signed safety Anthony Johnson Jr. , NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Wednesday, adding another veteran piece to their offseason roster ahead of OTAs.
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Johnson, 26, entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. During his rookie season in 2023, he appeared in 12 games and started four, recording 24 tackles, one interception, and three pass deflections across 303 defensive snaps. He finished that season with a 64.0 PFSN SAF Impact Score, ranking No. 82 among 92 qualified safeties.
In 2024, Johnson was waived by the Packers during final roster cuts after the team added Xavier McKinney in free agency and drafted Javon Bullard and Evan Williams , reducing his role in the secondary. He was claimed by the New York Giants , where he played nine games, logging 135 snaps with 113 coming on special teams and 21 on defense.
Johnson's time with New York ended after he failed a physical prior to the 2025 season, leading to a full year on injured reserve in 2025. He was later released by the Giants in March 2026.
The Bears are adding him to a safety group that has undergone major changes. Chicago moved on from 2025 starters Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker in free agency. The team signed former Seattle Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal and drafted Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Depth competition remains open, with Elijah Hicks re-signed as a backup, along with Cam Lewis and UDFA Skyler Thomas also in the mix. Johnson will compete for one of the reserve safety roles and brings special teams experience from his time in Green Bay and New York.
Earlier in the day, the Bears also signed veteran running back Salvon Ahmed , as the team continues bolstering depth ahead of the 2026 season.
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