The Chicago Bears are bringing back a former Green Bay Packers safety just one day after cutting loose one of their defensive stars of the 2026 NFL preseason.
According to an official team release, the Bears re-signed former Packers seventh-round defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. to their practice squad on Thursday, September 10, reuniting with the 26-year-old after rostering him for training camp.
Johnson had originally signed with the Bears during OTAs in late May and spent the summer competing for a spot in their safety room, recording seven tackles in three preseason games. He missed the initial roster cut, though, despite Chicago’s injuries.
Now, Johnson returns as one of three defensive backs on the Bears’ 16-man practice squad ahead of their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 13.
Bears Waived Beanie Bishop Jr. With Injury Settlement
Johnson’s re-signing comes just one day after the Bears moved on from defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr., who shined with a two-interception game for them in the preseason before a late-camp injury compounded his availability issues for the 2026 season.
Bishop had already received a three-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy when he signed with the Bears on August 9, but his strong performance against the Cleveland Browns seemed to give him a shot at sticking around in Chicago until after his suspension to potentially contribute for their defense.
Unfortunately, Bishop suffered a late-camp injury that forced the Bears to waive him with an injury designation during their initial roster cuts. While he reverted to IR after going unclaimed on waivers, it effectively took him out of play for the Bears in 2026.
It isn’t Bishop’s roster spot that Johnson took, though.
According to The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, the Bears also waived safety Marlen Sewell with an injury settlement on Thursday in a corresponding move to clear space for Johnson on the practice squad. The team has not yet announced Sewell’s departure.
Anthony Johnson Jr. Started 4 Games as Packers Rookie
Johnson was a 2023 seventh-round pick for the Packers who played meaningful snaps on defense during his rookie season, even making four starts. The tale of the tape, however, depicted Johnson as an unpolished player who made his fair share of mistakes.
While Johnson tallied 26 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception in 14 games (counting two in the playoffs), he had overaggressive tendencies that led to coverage breaks and, more often, tackling issues. According to Pro Football Reference, he missed eight tackles in 12 regular-season games — good for 25% of his regular-season total.
The Packers didn’t sit on their hands, waiting for Johnson to develop. During the 2024 offseason, they signed veteran Xavier McKinney and drafted Javon Bullard in the second round and Evan Williams in the fourth round to overhaul their safety room.
The moves put Johnson on thin ice heading into his sophomore NFL campaign in 2024. And sure enough, by the end of camp, Johnson had lost favor with the Packers, ceding his depth role to Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo and landing on waivers.
Johnson hasn’t had much luck since then. The New York Giants claimed him off waivers after 2024 roster cut but relegated him to a special teams role for most of the season. He then missed all of 2025 with an injury he suffered before training camp.
Bears Sign Ex-Packers Safety After Cutting Loose Preseason Star