Twice against the New York Giants last week, Chicago Bears cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson blitzed from the slot and saw nobody there to block him.

He had one thought in his head.

“I don’t got to do nothing else but chase the quarterback,” Gardner-Johnson later said.

Both times he capitalized with sacks against Giants quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Russell Wilson. In just a matter of weeks, Gardner-Johnson has become an productive piece for this Bears defense. Signed on Oct. 29 to fill in for the injured Kyler Gordon, Gardner-Johnson suited up for the Bears as their nickel cornerback four days later.

Gordon went on injured reserve in late October with calf and groin injuries. He previously missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury.

In three games since then, Gardner-Johnson recorded three sacks, one forced fumble, 19 combined tackles, four tackles for a loss and four QB hits. His impact was quickly apparent.

On Wednesday, the Bears opened Gordon’s practice window, giving them 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster. With Gardner-Johnson playing at a high level, the Bears will have some decisions to make once Gordon is ready for game action. Only one of them can play the nickel.

Bears coach Ben Johnson indicated that the team might want both players on the field, but he was vague about who would be playing the nickel.

“C.J. is definitely a playmaker,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy we’re going to want on the field. When we feel good about Kyler being ready, we’ll make sure we have a good plan in place in terms of how we set that up.”

That says a lot about the impression Gardner-Johnson has made in just three games. Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris agreed and said Gardner-Johnson has been “a joy to work with.”

Bears nickel back C.J. Gardner-Johnson (35) high-fives safety Jaquan Brisker after sacking Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart on Nov. 9, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

“We as a staff, we’ve got to come up with ways to get your best 11 guys on the field,” Harris said. “However that shakes out, that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Like Gordon, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson — who has missed most of the season after having core muscle surgery — returned to practice Friday and could be ready for game action within the next two weeks. The Bears play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Soldier Field.

With a tough schedule down the stretch, the Bears secondary is getting healthy at the right time.

“We’ll be very smart about (when they return),” Ben Johnson said. “But at the same time, I know that they want to be out there and they’re pushing hard to be game ready, whether that’s this week or not. But we’re doing all of our due diligence to make sure we’re being smart.”

Both Gardner-Johnson, 27, and Gordon, 25, are versatile defensive backs who can play multiple positions. Gordon played some outside corner during his rookie season in 2022. Gardner-Johnson has played safety in the past, but he primarily has played the nickel since coming to Chicago.

Since signing with the Bears, Gardner-Johnson has been arriving to Halas Hall at 6 a.m. every day in order to get some extra film work in with nickels coach Cannon Matthews.

“If anything I’m the one that’s still trying to wake up,” Matthews joked about those early-morning meetings. “(He’s) just a prideful person in his craft. He wants to be the best and you hear a lot of guys say that, but you can truly feel that from him.”

Gardner-Johnson previously played in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system in New Orleans. Allen was the defensive coordinator when the Saints drafted Gardner-Johnson with a fourth-round pick in 2019.

Chicago Bears Q&A: How is this season different from Matt Nagy’s ‘fluky’ NFC North title in 2018?

Harris, who played cornerback in the league for 14 seasons, said that once you’ve played in a defensive system before, it’s kind of like riding a bike. Gardner-Johnson is proving that to be true.

“Ben put a lot of trust in me to go out and get things done in a short amount of time, and that’s what I’m doing,” Gardner-Johnson said.

Gardner-Johnson is on his fourth team in a calendar year. He won the Super Bowl last year with the Philadelphia Eagles but was traded to the Houston Texans in the offseason. He lasted only three games into the regular season before the Texans cut him in a surprising move. The Baltimore Ravens then briefly signed Gardner-Johnson to their practice squad for about a week before the releasing him.

Related Articles

Column: Uncovering the mysteries of the Packers’ ‘Curly’ Lambeau

Chicago Bears Q&A: How is this season different from Matt Nagy’s ‘fluky’ NFC North title in 2018?

Aaron Rodgers has a broken left wrist, but the Pittsburgh Steelers QB still might play vs. Chicago Bears

Are the Chicago Bears legitimate contenders to win the NFC North? 5 pressing questions after Week 11.

Jake Moody joins the Washington Commanders off the Chicago Bears’ practice squad

He spent the next two weeks waiting for his next opportunity before the Bears called. A defensive back with a reputation for provoking his opponents on the field — doing so twice against the Bears in 2020 — Ben Johnson’s staff has been adamant that Gardner-Johnson is fitting the attitude of this Bears team, which sits atop the NFC North at 7-3.

“He’s adapted to the culture,” Harris said. “At times you’ll get guys that (arrive) later on that haven’t been exposed to the preaching that we do as far as getting the ball, and it may take them a little time to get used to that. I think he picked that up right away.”

At the same time, when the Bears hired Allen to run the defense, he raved about Gordon, indicating he wanted to use him as more than just a nickel corner.

“Does he go outside and compete at outside corner? Does he compete some at safety?” Allen said over the offseason. “I’ve told him that he needs to be learning both of those spots. We’ll figure out where that second position is where he can go and compete.”

Gordon has been healthy for only two games and primarily has played the nickel in those two games. Whatever the Bears decide to do, having too many starting-caliber defensive backs is a good problem to have.

For now, Ben Johnson’s plans remain a mystery.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/chicago-bears-kyler-gordon-cj-gardner-johnson/