Bears are taking the first steps toward bringing in a former Super Bowl champ that could be 2026’s version of Nahshon Wright
The Chicago Bears are bringing in former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nazeeh Johnson on a tryout and it could be a similar pathway that turned Nahshon Wright from an afterthought into a Pro Bowl alternate.
The Chicago Bears are putting the final pieces together on the 90-man roster heading into the start of OTAs and seem interested in potentially adding another body to the roster coming out of rookie minicamp.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears are expected to host a tryout for former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nazeeh Johnson. Johnson played 29 games with the Chiefs in three seasons after being selected in the seventh-round of the 2022 NFL Draft, including two playoff starts.
Johnson previously visited the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles as he looks to land in a new home for the 2026 season. The Bears already had success with one veteran tryout earning a roster spot this offseason in wide receiver Scotty Miller.
Chicago Bears interest in Nazeeh Johnson could make him the new Nahshon Wright-like experiment
Last offseason, the Bears brought in a similar cornerback who was hoping for any opportunity to join a team when they signed Nahshon Wright. After getting him in the building, Wright quickly proved himself on the field. He not only earned a starting job for the Bears but even played at a Pro Bowl level.
Now, it’s too early to think the same can happen with Johnson, but the Bears are at least interested in taking the first steps to see what the former Super Bowl champ can bring to the table.
The Bears could use all of the competition they can get at the cornerback position after letting Wright walk in free agency and waiving 2025 fifth-round pick Zah Frazier. Chicago has one starting position on the outside up for grabs with Tyrique Stevenson, rookie Malik Muhammad, and Terell Smith vying for the role.
If the Bears decide to add Johnson, he could throw his name into that race. And getting him on the field with defensive backs coach Al Harris could easily be the thing that gets his career back on the right track.
To get more insight on his first three seasons and what went wrong in Kansas City, I spoke with our A to Z Chiefs beat writer Charles Goldman.
What went wrong for Nazeeh Johnson in Kansas City and what he could potentially offer the Bears
“A former seventh-round draft pick out of Marshall, Johnson came to Kansas City as a safety and became an all-around defensive back. As a rookie in 2022, he primarily played special teams for the Chiefs, but they had big plans for him in 2023. During the early goings of the offseason program and training camp, he earned starting repetitions at corner and nickel due to his speed. Unfortunately, that trajectory would not last. After a training camp practice was moved indoors due to lightning, Johnson suffered a torn ACL and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. It was a disappointing end after a promising start to the offseason.
After L’Jarius Sneed was traded by the Chiefs, there were some in the building who believed that Johnson was the answer to help replace him as a versatile slot/boundary corner. In 2024, he appeared in all 19 regular-season and postseason games for the Chiefs, starting six in the season and two in the playoffs. He recorded a combined 62 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and four passes defended, in what can only be described as an up-and-down year. In 2025, injury was again a problem, leaving 27-year-old to appear in only two games. If he can get healthy, he has the tools to become a solid defensive back in the league. But to this point that has been the major thing holding him back.”