With several injuries to the secondary this season, the Chicago Bears are signing veteran Chauncey “C.J.” Gardner-Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The 27-year-old defensive back has a history with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who had him in New Orleans from 2019 to 2021, and a history with head coach Ben Johnson, who was on staff in Detroit when C.J. played there in 2023. He entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2019, and the Bears will be the sixth franchise he’s played for.

He began the 2025 season as a starting safety for the...

Last week, there was a comment on my Sackwatch article asking why I only break down the sacks the Chicago Bears allow, and not the sacks Chicago’s defense gets. I didn’t see the question until this week, so while I did answer it there, I also wanted to address it here in case anyone else was wondering.

Former WCG writer, Kev H, who you’ll still see here every now and again, had the idea for me to break down the sacks the Bears allowed because, believe it or not, there was a time when fans blamed every single sack allowed...

WE WANT YOU!

Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I’m starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that’s how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARSSSSSS

Bears activate DE Austin Booker, work out 7 players – Chicago Sun-Times...

The Chicago Bears’ winning streak is over. It was fun while it lasted, but now that the team is (4-3) — the same record as a season ago — following the loss to the Baltimore Ravens, are you ready to fall back into ‘oh no, here we go again’ mode? Or are you confident Ben Johnson and the coaching staff will be able to right the ship?

On their latest Mac & Read Show, Evan McLean and Ross Read, who just got back from Baltimore and M&T Bank Stadium, share their experience watching the Bears on the road. They also...

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bears fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

That was a tough loss on Sunday.

Before the Baltimore Ravens beat them up 30-16, the Chicago Bears hadn’t lost a game since Week 2 on September 14. Four straight wins spanning nearly a full calendar month, and vibes around our fanbase were high.

What made losing in Baltimore especially tough was the Ravens’ not having All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson, which...

No, it’s not time to panic, but it is time to have a conversation.

What is going on in that locker room?

I don’t know how we haven’t seen Ben Johnson’s head literally explode on the sidelines. From day one, Ben Johnson’s messaging has been consistent. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” “No block, no rock.” He was going to challenge his players. He was going to work them hard. He was going to teach them how to be winners.

And to be winners, the first thing players need is attention to detail. Johnson has hammered it since OTAs. They need to...

The NFL season is reaching the halfway point, the point in which we generally know where teams are going.

For the first time in a while, the Chicago Bears aren’t completely irrelevant by Halloween. But, they have a long way to go before they can really get into the playoff conversation in the second half of the season.

Sunday’s loss showed how far they still have to go. The defense is decimated by injuries and the pass rush is still non-existent. The offense remains up-and-down and dependent somewhat on if they’re facing a bad defense or not.

And naturally, there...

The most anticipated player activation in the history of the Chicago Bears has finally happened.

Earlier today, the home office of Windy City Gridiron received a fax from second-year defensive end Austin Booker that made his intentions crystal clear.

Chills.

Okay, it may not have happened like that, but the ongoing discourse in our comment section, on sports radio, on podcasts, and on social media about Booker’s return from injured reserve following his preseason knee injury has been hyperbolic.

The Bears opened Booker’s 21-day practice window on October 7, and since that time, he’s been a full participant at...

“We going up, up, up, it’s our moment…”

Any father of a kindergarten-aged-or-older kid, especially a girl, knows what that means. (Then again, so do most people who don’t live under a rock.)

But as the KPop Demon Hunters find out (spoilers if you haven’t seen it!), the path to that final triumphant moment is anything but a steady upward climb. In fact, the main characters crash out pretty spectacularly before the film’s end.

And good thing for them (sort of): failing the way they all did and facing the proverbial music about each of their past mistakes help them...

All of the good vibes Chicago has been riding have dried up.

It happens quickly after a loss.

This was a frustrating loss because it should have been a game the Bears were competitive in. If they are going to take the next step as an ascending team, there should be signs of growth.

But it was more messy penalties, inconsistent offense, no pass rush and settling for field goals instead of touchdowns.

The Bears were too reliant on turnovers and late-game heroics. Sunday in Baltimore, there were none.

But that is life of a young team. There are bound...

1. It’s mind-boggling how unserious the NFL can be sometimes. Banning reporters from using All-22 film the NFL offers, that they pay for, to help make fans smarter about the game is simply ridiculous. If you’re that worried that people breaking down film publicly will give away trade secrets or that the film will be improperly used, don’t sell it. But that would mean less money for the league, and it can’t have that.

2. Speaking of dumb things in the league…did the Ravens really think they could get one over by listing Lamar Jackson as a full participant last...

Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season brought many bye weeks, a few predictable outcomes, and others that were shocking. In other words: Welcome to the NFL and its constant parity. For the first time all season, the Top 2 teams heading into the week are the same teams heading into Week 9. The elites are starting to separate themselves, while other fringe teams are heading in opposite directions after deciding games on Sunday afternoon. In the end, the season is still a long way from being over, but the picture of contenders and pretenders becomes clearer each passing week....