Bears risky roster addition in Week 9 delivered the immediate impact that was promised, setting him up for even more opportunities

Last Wednesday, the Chicago Bears took a gamble when the team brought in free agent defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and added him to the roster to make up for the short-team loss of standout nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon.

That's not a knock on Gardner-Johnson's level of play in any way. He's a fierce competitor but sometimes his fiery play-style can get the better of him. There's a reason he's on his fourth team dating back to the start of 2025.

Regardless, the Bears had a major need at the position after placing Gordon on the injured reserve and believed it was the perfect fit to add Gardner-Johnson back to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme. Given his familiarity from his time in New Orleans, Gardner-Johnson was firm in the belief that he would play on Sunday and bring an immediate impact. That he did.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson made some key plays in his debut game with the Bears

All said and done, Gardner-Johnson finished the game with 41 defensive snaps, the ninth-most on the team. You could see a little rust coming through later in the game and Gardner-Johnson even admitted he was dealing with some cramps in his first game back in action since Week 3 with the Houston Texans.

But, the immediate impact was still felt regardless. On his second snap of the game, Gardner-Johnson shot through the protection and brought down Bengals running back Chase Brown for a gain of one-yard. Four snaps later, Allen dialed up the blitz sending Gardner-Johnson and safety Jaquan Brisker from the same side on 3rd-and-7.

Brown picked up Brisker coming off the edge but no one was there to pick up Gardner-Johnson, allowing him to bring down quarterback Joe Flacco for a five-yard sack. His ability as a pass rusher from the slot is one of his best traits and an area the team used Gordon in when he was healthy.