We now know why CJ Garner-Johnson got released by the Texans.. and it's hilarious

No one can ever question whether the Houston Texans are a no-nonsense organization again.

Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears safety CJ Gardner-Johnson takes the field prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

I know the Bears are in the heat of a playoff race and have the biggest game in 15 years (or three days, depending on your perspective) to prepare for. Halas Hall clearly has much bigger things on the horizon than a three-month-old story. However, when new information comes to light about that three-month-old story, and it's HILARIOUS, how would I not write about it?

Many were surprised when the Texans released starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson following their Week 3 loss in Jacksonville. After all, they traded their starting guard and a fifth-round pick for him in the offseason.

It was previously a mystery as to why he got released. That is, until ESPN writer DJ Bien-Aime provided some insight into the story that led to his release.

Wow… banger by DJ here https://t.co/zJ2QujGRnd pic.twitter.com/kPkXcqw7iz

— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) January 12, 2026

I'm sorry... but that's nothing if not hilarious.

You're telling me that an NFL team released their starting safety nearly a full two seasons before his contract was set to expire (he was signed through 2026) because his mimicking of a teammate led to increased tension. He then got into it with one of the Texans' best players, Derek Stingley Jr., who was seemingly trying to diffuse the situation, just because he wanted ALL the smoke.

As if that weren't enough, the cherry on top of it all was that known "peacemaker," Azeez Al-Shaair, was the one who de-escalated the situation.

The NFL has always done him dirty. To learn more about it, search “Azeez Al-Shaair dirty” https://t.co/5lZ4bP0TSx pic.twitter.com/O0YLUS8Va8

— coop (@LocalLegendCoop) December 4, 2025

While it's undeniably wild that someone got released following that exchange, it's hard to find much issue with the Texans' decision in hindsight. They have gone 13-2 on the strength of their elite defense in the post-CJGJ era, after all. While he might not have been directly contributing to their defensive struggles (they gave up a grand total of 51 points over their 0-3 start), chemistry matters. They clearly didn't have it.

The Texans' loss (or gain, I guess) was the Bears' gain. In a big way. You don't usually have the opportunity to land game-changing players at the midseason point, but Chicago did just that with the addition of Gardner-Johnson.

He started right away due to his familiarity with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme (he played under him for the first three years of his career in New Orleans) and made an immediate impact. Notably, he did so playing the position that he reportedly wanted to play in Houston.

He felt that the Texans were playing him out of position on the back end of the defense, and it's hard to argue with him, seeing what he's done with Chicago. The 28-year-old did a masterful job of filling in for the injured Kyler Gordon. While CJGJ might not have replaced his coverage abilities, he provided a stabilizing presence to the slot position that was missing since Gordon went down. He had 3 sacks and 15 total tackles over his first two games with the Bears, both of which were wins that he played a crucial role in.

Gardner-Johnson has developed a reputation as a diva, and many credit that as to why he's become somewhat of a journeyman. The newest story regarding his time in Houston isn't really a great example of that, in my opinion. Unless he was really outspoken against his role in the defense (it's unclear what to make of that aspect of the article), he seems like somewhat of a scapegoat in that situation. In the funniest way possible.

Personally, I'll always have love for him (even though he got former Bears' receivers Anthony Miller and Javon Wims to throw punches his way on two separate occasions). He provided a spark to the Bears' defense when they desperately needed it. He will hopefully be back in the lineup to take some of the responsibility off Gordon's plate in the slot.

I hope Ben Johnson can draw up a trick play for him if the Bears wind up facing his former team in the Super Bowl. I also hope he jukes out Kamari Lassiter in the process.

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