FURTHER: $141M Giants star emerges as X-factor ahead of clash with Bears
As Chicago’s defense was plagued by a series of injuries, the club turned to free agent defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson for help, despite spending two short-lived stints with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens just this year. Gardner was signed on October 29 to help replace nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon.
“It’s a blessing to be here,” Gardner-Johnson said, according to Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune. Thompson notes that Gardner-Johnson had quickly become an “NFL pariah” after burning so many teams. “I was home for a month and a half. The narratives and the scrutiny.”
The Gardner-Johnson Redemption Arc
Gardner-Johnson had a big impact in the Bears’ 24-20 home win against the lowly New York Giants on Sunday. He forced a fumble by Giants signal-caller Jaxson Dart in the third quarter, which helped save the contest. Chicago finally recovered after trailing by 10 points in the fourth frame. Gardner-Johnson also recorded a pair of sacks.
“But when you run into a great group of people, a great group of coaches that believe in you, people that believe in you, I think all that goes out the window when they can see one person and you come in and you just adapt and adjust,” Gardner-Johnson reflected on his tenure with the Bears. “He comes in and plays right away, he makes an impact on the team.”
With the win, Chicago improves to a surprisingly good 6-3 record during its first season under new head coach Ben Johnson.