Well, this wasn't something on my bingo card. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, former New Orleans Saints Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson is signing to the Chicago Bears active roster. He'll be rejoining his former defensive coordinator and man who traded him in 2022, Dennis Allen.
He'll be reuniting with many former Saints players in the windy city; however, the most notable reunion is the one he'll have with Allen. Back when Gardner-Johnson was stepping onto the field in black and gold, his defensive coordinator then was also Dennis Allen. The seventh-year man has effectively gone back to his roots.
Chicago won't be the only city Gardner-Johnson has played for in 2025. At the beginning of the season, he was in Houston with the Texans before being released in the last week of September. He would then be singing "Good Morning Baltimore", but only for a week before being cut yet again. "Football has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the game is still strong," the safety said after being released by the Ravens. "I’m excited to keep working, keep improving..."
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson's journey since leaving the Crescent City
CJ Gardner-Johnson, when playing for the Saints, was an icon, a legend, and the moment in New Orleans. The team's go-to hype man, the Super Dome cameras would pan to him during the game to get the fans riled up. That makes the way he left the team that much more disappointing.
You see, Gardner-Johnson was due for a new contract. Both he and the Saints wanted to work out a deal but could not come to an agreement on what the number would be; however, wanting more money than the team was offering him, Gardner-Johnson would refuse coaching, clashing with the staff during practices. "See, this is what you all wanted!" he reportedly shouted after coming up limping during a 7-7 drill.
A trade would be put together, and shortly thereafter, he was officially a former New Orleans Saint, being sent to Philadelphia for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick on Aug. 30, 2022. Following a year with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson would then sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions before turning right around and signing a three-year deal with the Eagles once the 2023 season was over. A month after winning Super Bowl LIX with Philly, he would be traded to the Texans.
Unfortunately for Gardner-Johnson, he would not last long in the Lone Star State, being cut just six months after the trade due to friction with the team. He would spend a week in Baltimore with the Ravens before veing released by them as well.
Now, he's in Chicago, but with the defensive coordinator who drafted him into this league. Maybe, just maybe, he still misses his time in New Orleans, because aside from the scenery, he's effectively back where he started.