Hot head. Malcontent. Savior?
Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson found himself sitting at home, an NFL pariah and so-called locker room problem, before the Chicago Bears signed him two weeks ago to plug into an injury-ravaged secondary.
Gardner-Johnson had two sacks Sunday against the New York Giants, but it was his third-quarter forced fumble by quarterback Jaxson Dart, recovered by cornerback Nahshon Wright, that proved to be a game-changer during the Bears’ 24-20 comeback victory at Soldier Field.
The player who was given his walking papers by two teams this season — the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens — was given a game ball by the Bears.
“It’s just a blessing to be here,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I was home for a month and a half. The narratives and scrutiny.
“But when you run (into) a great group of people, a great group of coaches that believe in you, people (who) believe in you, I think all that goes out the window when they can see a person and you come in and just adapt and adjust. … Come in and play right away, make an impact on the team.”
Chicago Bears safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson celebrates with safety Jaquan Brisker after sacking New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart during the first quarter at Soldier Field on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Bears coach Ben Johnson said Gardner-Johnson “alluded to” his journey after the game.
“You get football taken away from you, which he felt for the last couple months, that’s his story,” Johnson said. “And now he’s here with a bunch of guys rooting for him and he’s grateful for the opportunity, and so (it) gives you just a greater sense of appreciation.
“He’s always been a phenomenal football player. I think he’s found a good home here in Chicago. Our guys are gravitating toward his swagger, his playmaking ability. He’s quickly becoming one of us.”
The Bears have been missing top cornerback Jaylon Johnson and top nickel corner Kyler Gordon for most of the season. They signed Gardner-Johnson on Oct. 29 to fill Gordon’s role, in part because he previously played for Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen for three seasons when Allen was the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator.
Signing the seventh-year veteran has paid immediate dividends.
In his first game with the Bears last week, he sacked Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco to kill a second-quarter drive. He loomed even larger Sunday against the Giants.
Dart ran all over the Bears, to the tune of six carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns. His 7-yard scramble on second-and-6 in Bears territory looked to be no different until Gardner-Johnson slammed into his side and popped the ball out.
“I got tired of him running the ball,” Gardner-Johnson said. “No disrespect, it’s just an aggravating (feeling) when he breaks for 20, 50 yards (and) you’re playing great coverage. So I found a way to get off the field, to get the ball out of his hands eventually.”
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He also thought of the Bears’ all-time great takeaway machine.
“The way to stop (Dart) is just making plays on defense and attacking the ball like ballplayers, and (if you have) the chance to punch out like Peanut Tillman, go punch the ball or find a way to get to the ball,” Gardner-Johnson said.
After Wright recovered the fumble, the Bears drove 80 yards for a 22-yard Cairo Santos field goal that narrowed the deficit to 17-10.
Dart left the game after the hit by Gardner-Johnson to be evaluated for a concussion and was replaced on the next drive by Russell Wilson.
When Wilson dropped back on third-and-7 in the fourth quarter, Allen dialed up a blitz for Gardner-Johnson, who blasted the quarterback for an 11-yard loss.
That drive killer enabled the Bears to get the ball back, and the offense capitalized with Caleb Williams’ 17-yard touchdown to complete the rally.
“(Allen) had a lot of trust in letting me go after the quarterback, so got to get him down so the guys won’t cover for long and get off the field,” Gardner-Johnson said.
He also sacked Dart for an 8-yard loss in the first quarter.
“I don’t know what place he is in sacks (for the Bears) right now, but I mean, three sacks in two weeks?” safety Kevin Byard III said. “Just happy for him because I understand what it’s like to come to a new team, middle of the year, making impact plays that he’s been making.
“He’s been on the couch for a little bit, so (I’m) just happy for him to get the game ball at the end of the game as well.”
The Bears had other flash plays from the defense.
Montez Sweat extended his sack streak to four games, becoming just the third Bears defender since 1990 to have multiple seasons of four-game sack streaks, joining Khalil Mack (2018, 2020 and 2021) and Richard Dent (1990 and 1992).
Sweat had 1 1/2 sacks Sunday, and Gervon Dexter had half a sack.
But the Bears won’t be dancing during film review. In addition to his rushing totals, Dart threw for 242 yards on 19-of-29 passing.
“He’s a hell of a player,” Byard said. “That’s probably one of his strong suits, being able to have those scramble plays and things like that, similar to Caleb Williams in a way.
“We’ve just got to be a little bit better. (On) a couple of those runs, (we should be) probably a little better on the run fits. But credit to him.”
Much like last week’s circus-like win against the Bengals, the defense contributed to putting the team behind the eight-ball before helping to pull another rabbit out of the hat.
“I mean, how many games this year has it been like that?” Byard said. “Obviously, we need to play better within those first three quarters, three and a half quarters.
“But at the end of the day, man, this is the 2025 Bears, you know what I mean? It hasn’t been pretty at times, but the belief’s there, the turnovers have been there. We’ve been able to just make clutch plays at the right time.”