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Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is a player that New Orleans Saints fans loved to watch play for quite some time. While his time in black and gold was cut short in 2022 with a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, the player coined “CGJ” was always appreciated for his infectious spirit and effort while with the Saints. Now, he’s making plays for the Chicago Bears under a well-known former Saints coach.<\/p>\n
After recording a sack against the\u00a0New York Giants, C.J. Gardner-Johnson seemingly paid homage to Saints star linebacker Demario Davis. He rolled out Davis’ big play celebration that he’s been doing for quite some time.<\/p>\n
The fiery defensive back hasn’t stopped working hard to get on the field, and injuries have allowed the now Bears defender to hit the field more often. Gardner-Johnson began the season with the Houston Texans, but that tenure did not last long.<\/p>\n
I discussed CGJ’s role with Chicago’s defense under Dennis Allen with Bears beat writer Kole Noble. His presence has been clear and obvious for anyone watching, and the unit is feeling the energy from the veteran defensive back.<\/p>\n
“C.J. Gardner-Johnson\u00a0has been a welcome addition to the Bears defense\u00a0and I honestly can\u2019t think of a more impactful in-signing general manager Ryan Poles has made for this team. That being said, this addition had more to do with head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen making the call than the team\u2019s top front office executive.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that Gardner-Johnson has started to rekindle his playing career after some frustrating recent stops elsewhere around the league. Plenty of Saints fans are probably rooting for him still.<\/p>\n
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are once again facing an uphill battle on the injury front as they prepare for a pivotal Week 11 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.<\/p>\n
Veteran wide receiver\u00a0Chris Godwin, who has been sidelined since Week 5 with a fibula injury, remains without a clear timetable for return.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Head coach Todd Bowles provided an update earlier this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Pro Football Network noted, Bowles said that while the team hopes to have several key players, including\u00a0Bucky Irving\u00a0and Godwin back soon, but there\u2019s \u201cno timetable for their returns.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler also reported on SportsCenter that Godwin\u2019s comeback likely won\u2019t come until \u201clate November or December.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay continues to take an extremely cautious approach given his lengthy injury history.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just don\u2019t want to press it with him,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cThey\u2019re thinking late November-December with Chris Godwin.\u201d<\/p>\n
That timeline suggests Godwin could remain sidelined for at least a few more weeks, which could extend his absence to seven straight games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been tough,\u201d one team source told PewterReport.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of our tone-setters, a guy who moves the sticks and keeps the offense balanced. You can\u2019t just replace that kind of reliability.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This news is a blow to both fantasy football managers and a Buccaneers offense that has struggled mightily in recent weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay\u2019s attack ranks 19th in offensive efficiency, reflecting just how much the team has missed some of its biggest playmakers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Godwin\u2019s 2025 season has been defined by setbacks and stalled recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After fracturing his ankle late in the 2024 campaign, he missed the first three games of this season before returning in Week 4.<\/p>\n
He immediately reclaimed a major role, playing over 80% of the Buccaneers\u2019 offensive snaps in back-to-back games against the\u00a0Eagles\u00a0and\u00a0Seahawks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, his return was short-lived.<\/p>\n
During the Week 5 matchup, Godwin suffered a fibula injury that has since sidelined him for over a month.<\/p>\n
Bowles later clarified that while the injury wasn\u2019t season-ending, the team wouldn\u2019t risk aggravation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want him right for the long term,\u201d Bowles said. \u201cIt\u2019s a tough break for him, but we\u2019re not rushing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Godwin does not return until late November or early December, that would mean that he would have now missed 16 of his last 18 games since suffering a\u00a0gruesome dislocated ankle in Week 7 of the 2024 season against the\u00a0Ravens.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
When healthy, Godwin\u2019s versatility and route-running precision make him one of Tampa Bay\u2019s most reliable weapons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before the fibula setback, he caught six passes for 52 yards across two games and was on pace to regain his rhythm with\u00a0Baker Mayfield.<\/p>\n
Since his absence, the Bucs\u2019 offense has struggled to maintain consistency.<\/p>\n
Mike Evans\u00a0landed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone, Bucky Irving has missed five straight games, and\u00a0Emeka Egbuka\u00a0has been in and out of injury reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rookie\u00a0Tez Johnson\u00a0and\u00a0Sterling Shepard\u00a0have had to shoulder more than they expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got guys stepping up,\u201d Mayfield said recently, \u201cbut you can\u2019t really replace a guy like Chris. His presence just changes how defenses play us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Egbuka has emerged as the primary receiver, while tight end\u00a0Cade Otton\u00a0has taken on a larger role as Mayfield\u2019s safety valve.<\/p>\n
Still, the absence of explosive plays has hurt Tampa Bay\u2019s production, as the offense has averaged just 18.3 points per game over its last three games.<\/p>\n
If Godwin can return sometime in the near future, his ability to attack all three levels of the field and extend drives could provide the spark this offense desperately needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is a player that New Orleans Saints fans loved to watch play for quite some time. While his time in black and gold was cut short in 2022 with a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t