Bears Shuffle Practice Squad: Johnson to IR, Smith Returns

On Friday, the Chicago Bears made a quick two‑player shuffle on their practice squad. Veteran defensive back Anthony Johnson was placed on the practice‑squad injured reserve list – the exact nature of his injury hasn’t been disclosed yet.

Johnson, a former Green Bay Packers seventh‑round pick, signed with Chicago in May. He never made the 53‑man roster, so the team added him to the practice squad last week. In 21 career games, including four starts, he’s logged 29 tackles, four passes defensed and a single interception. His most recent on‑field action came with the New York Giants earlier this season.

To fill the vacancy, the Bears signed Keidron Smith to the practice squad. That name might ring a bell for some fans – Smith was with the Bears earlier this year, was cut, and now finds himself back in the building. The 22‑year‑old cornerback went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2023, saw 12 games (one start) with the New York Jets, and spent 2024 on the Denver Broncos roster. He’s accumulated 22 tackles in his brief NFL stint.

Below is the current makeup of Chicago’s practice squad after the swap:

QB Miller Moss; RB Salvon Ahmed, Zavier Scott; WR Scotty Miller, JP Richardson, Kaden Davis; TE Qadir Ismail, Stephen Carlson; OL Christian Jones, Kyle Hergel, Caden Barnett; LB Wayne Matthews II, Buddy Johnson; DL Marcus Davenport; DB Keidron Smith, Deante Prince.

The Bears kept the squad at full strength, so no extra spots opened up. In Week 1 they promoted wide receiver Kaden Davis and quarterback Miller Moss due to injuries at receiver Rome Odunze and QB Tyson Bagent. Davis didn’t see offensive snaps but contributed on special teams, while Moss was listed as inactive on game day. With Odunze expected to be healthy for Week 2, Davis will likely sit out, but the roster still has a few question marks.

Chicago’s injury report this week is stacked, but the most pressing concern heading into Friday is running back Xavier Woods, who was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. If Woods is ruled out, the club could look to either Deante Prince or the freshly added Keidron Smith for a call‑up. The Bears will finalize their status reports later today, and fans will be watching closely to see how these moves shape the team’s defensive depth heading into the Minnesota showdown.