The Bears are signing running back Salvon Ahmed and safety Anthony Johnson Jr., per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, adding depth to position groups that were quietly low on experience.
Ahmed, 27, signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie in 2020 and amassed 646 yards on 152 touches across 18 games in his first two seasons. He only saw 51 touches for 221 yards in 2022 and 2023. Ahmed was waived by the Dolphins during the 2024 preseason and spent time with the Broncos and Colts during the regular season, though he did not appear in a game. He then signed a reserve/futures contract in Indianapolis for the 2025 season, but went down with a season-ending ankle injury during training camp.
The Bears’ running back room is headlined by six-year veteran D’Andre Swift and 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, who took all but seven of Chicago’s backfield touches last year. Travis Homer, who is now in Pittsburgh, appeared in 10 games with all but six snaps coming on special teams, and Roschon Johnson and Brittain Brown combined for 10 games and 19 offensive snaps. Further down the depth chart, the Bears also have 2025 UDFA Deion Hankins and undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett.
Ahmed has more experience than all of Chicago’s current running backs other than Swift, giving him somewhat of an advantage over his competition for a roster spot. However, he will still need to show he is recovered from last year’s injury and can still contribute either on offense or special teams to make the team.
Johnson, 26, was a Packers seventh-round pick in 2023 who appeared in 12 games with a 40% snap share as a rookie. He was waived during final roster cuts in 2024 and made his way to the Giants. He played nine games in New York with 113 of his 135 snaps coming on special teams and spent the following year on injured reserve.
In Chicago, Johnson will join a revamped Bears safety room that is without last year’s starters, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. The team let both walk in free agency and signed former Seahawks fourth-round pick Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40MM deal. They also retained 2022 seventh-rounder Elijah Hicks, drafted Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in April’s draft, and signed Oregon State’s Skyler Thomas as an undrafted rookie. Also returning from last year’s practice squad are Gervarrius Owens and Dominique Hampton.
Similar to Ahmed, Johnson will immediately become one of the Bears’ most experienced players at his position, though all of his playing time came in 2024 or earlier. His health will also be crucial to his ability to earn a roster spot this summer.