C.J. Gardner Johnson's Strange Ravens Moment Comes to a Close

The Baltimore Ravens' nagging defensive issues didn't take long to alert their disappointed front office, who spent early October swinging a few midseason moves in a rushed attempt at re-igniting the team's contending expectations. They were undermanned to begin with, trotting out fewer impactful stoppers than they bargained for, and injuries only further depleted the Ravens' options.

They made one of the first trades of this season, sending edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for some versatile midfield help in the form of Alohi Gilman. And he wasn't the only safety they brought aboard; they also grabbed a free agent veteran in CJ Gardner-Johnson shortly after, but unlike Gilman, he never saw the field for the Ravens.

A Flash in the Pan

He and his newest team parted ways just a week after coming to terms, with Gardner-Johnson never making an appearance in the Ravens' 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In what the sides called a "mutual decision," he returned to the aggregate, but resurfaced on another NFL team entering Week 9.

The Chicago Bears inked the former Super Bowl champion to a deal, and have already elevated him to their active roster.

Bears are signing S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to their active roster after his visit yesterday, per his agents Kevin Conner and Robert Brown of @unisportsmgmt.

Gardner-Johnson now reunites with Bears DC Dennis Allen, who coached him with the New Orleans Saints. pic.twitter.com/Z0W3dEDhJj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2025

The outspoken defensive back has been known to take matchups personally, but didn't have anything bad to air out about the Ravens during his brief time without a home. He made it clear that he still wanted to play following exits from Baltimore and the Houston Texans before them, and got his wish with his third team in two months.

What it Says About Ravens' Defensive Identity

He was originally signed to the Ravens to bring some life and nastiness to a lethargic defensive unit, which looked like it desperately needed a wake-up call through five weeks. But they haven't allowed an opponent to score more than 17 since that Rams game, holding Gardner-Johnson's new team to 16 in a much-needed bounce-back performance.

It helps that they've escaped some of those frightening availability questions, now expecting to welcome star quarterback Lamar Jackson back onto the field after a month of dealing with a hamstring injury. Their playoff dreams have officially been resuscitated with a supporting cast that's finally ready to deliver on promises together, and while the Bears are similarly feisty, the veteran safety just missed his chance at clashing with the Ravens directly following their oddly quick separation.

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