Bears agreed to terms with former Packers draft pick to boost special teams competition after considering multiple options
The Chicago Bears signed former Green Bay Packers seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson Jr. to the 90-man roster ahead of OTAs, adding more depth at safety and on special teams.
Not along after it was reported that the Chicago Bears were adding to the running back room with the signing of Salvon Ahmed, the Bears also made an addition on the defensive side of the ball in safety Anthony Johnson Jr.
Johnson was a former seventh-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played 12 games, while making four starts, as a rookie before being released during roster cuts ahead of the 2024 season. Johnson then signed with the New York Giants, playing nine games in 2024 before being played on the PUP list for the 2025 season due to an undisclosed injury.
Similar to the Ahmed signing, the Bears ideally needed more depth at the safety position going into organized team activities next week. Johnson also brings special teams upside, and it’s clear the Bears were looking for more competition there.
Chicago Bears STC Richard Hightower had the green light to fill the last spot on the roster before OTAs
Based on my roster count, the addition of Ahmed put the Bears’ roster at 90 players. The addition of Johnson bumps the number up to 91 players on the roster (Bears will likely get an IPP exemption again for punter Tory Taylor).
It’s clear that head coach Ben Johnson gave special teams coordinator Richard Hightower the green light to fill the final roster spot based on the team’s activity this week. Prior to signing Johnson, the Bears held tryouts for two veteran cornerbacks in Nazeeh Johnson and Sam Webb. Both players had plenty of special teams experience and the same goes for Anthony Johnson.
Ultimately, the Bears came back around to Anthony Johnson after working with Nazeeh Johnson and Webb. Anthony Johnson was one of the team’s veteran tryouts during rookie minicamp, becoming the second veteran tryout to earn a roster spot in Chicago.
With the Packers and Giants, he played 170 career special teams snaps and over 300 defensive snaps, making him the ideal option out of the three. Adding depth to the safety position is an added bonus going into OTAs.
With Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman holding the starting two positions, the rest of Chicago’s safety position consisted of Elijah Hicks, Cam Lewis, Gervarrius Owens, and UDFA Skyler Thomas before signing Johnson.