Bears sign – Chicago signed veteran safety Anthony Johnson Jr., adding depth ahead of OTAs after his 2025 season ended on injured reserve and his 2026 offseason move followed a failed Giants physical.
The Chicago Bears moved quickly to reshape their safety room Wednesday, signing Anthony Johnson Jr. to their offseason roster ahead of OTAs.
Anthony Johnson Jr. is 26. He entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. In his rookie season in 2023. he appeared in 12 games and started four. finishing with 24 tackles. one interception. and three pass deflections across 303 defensive snaps. That season ended with a 64.0 PFSN SAF Impact Score, ranking No. 82 among 92 qualified safeties.
His time in Green Bay ended before the 2025 season. In 2024. Johnson was waived by the Packers during final roster cuts after the team added Xavier McKinney in free agency and drafted Javon Bullard and Evan Williams. shrinking his role in the secondary. The New York Giants claimed him. and Johnson played nine games there—logging 135 snaps with 113 coming on special teams and 21 on defense.
But Johnson’s next stop did not last. His tenure with the Giants ended after he failed a physical prior to the 2025 season, which turned into a full year on injured reserve in 2025. He was later released by the Giants in March 2026.
For the Bears, the signing lands during a safety room that has already been turned over. Chicago moved on from 2025 starters Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker in free agency. The team signed former Seattle Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant to a three-year. $40 million deal and drafted Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That means Johnson is not arriving as an automatic starter. Depth competition remains open. with Elijah Hicks re-signed as a backup. along with Cam Lewis and UDFA Skyler Thomas also in the mix. Johnson will compete for one of the reserve safety roles. bringing special teams experience from his time with both the Packers and Giants.
Earlier in the day, the Bears also signed veteran running back Salvon Ahmed as they continue bolstering depth ahead of the 2026 season.
Chicago Bears Anthony Johnson Jr safety OTAs Kevin Byard III Jaquan Brisker Coby Bryant Dillon Thieneman Elijah Hicks Cam Lewis Skyler Thomas Salvon Ahmed injured reserve