While he may not hold the same media attention as other coaches on the Chicago Bears staff, like Dennis Allen, Al Harris, and Press Taylor, there is no denying the presence of Richard Hightower. Every so often over the past two months, the Bears have made a move that was eventually revealed to have been instigated by the special teams coordinator. It was drafting Keyshaun Elliott in the 5th round. It was signing Jon Rhattigan as a free agent. He has carefully orchestrated some notable moves to upgrade his unit whenever possible.
That trend may continue in the next few days. According to Jordan Schultz, the Bears hosted veteran cornerback Nazeeh Johnson for a visit. A 7th round pick in 2022, he helped the Kansas City Chiefs reach the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons. His best year came in 2024, when he logged 66 tackles and a sack as a rotational player on defense. However, that isn’t what likely appealed to Hightower. It was the 12 special teams tackles in 243 coverage snaps in that time.
Richard Hightower is always good at moves like this.
The special teams coach has a knack for identifying pieces who would fit well in Chicago. It’s shown for the past few years with guys like Jonathan Owens, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Dylan Cole, Daniel Hardy, and Josh Blackwell. With the third phase in constant flux because of team injuries forcing guys into the lineup on offense or defense, a special teams coordinator must have a sharp eye for players. Hightower isn’t perfect, but he does deserve credit for being particularly capable in that regard.
His influence was felt plenty of times last season. Even as injuries mounted across the roster, the special teams found ways to deliver gigantic season-defining moments. You had Blackwell’s blocked field goal in Las Vegas. There was backup kicker Jake Moody stepping in for the injured Cairo Santos in Washington and booting the Bears to a win. Devin Duvernay delivered a game-altering kick return in Minnesota to set up a winning field goal. Last but not least was the enormous recovered onside kick in the comeback against Green Bay in that epic December showdown.
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There are plans for Johnson if the Bears land him.
It is pretty evident that Richard Hightower feels the cornerback has more to offer than what happened in Kansas City. His rookie season in 2022 was easily his best on special teams, with eight tackles. Sadly, he tore his ACL in 2023. By the time he returned in 2024, he was getting more work on defense. There is a strong possibility that Hightower believes the Chiefs should’ve kept him focused on special teams. Johnson looked like he had the makings of becoming a Pro Bowler in that phase.
He is still only 27 years old and healthy by all accounts. Hightower knows he’s worked with Dave Toub, one of the best special teams coordinators in NFL history. So Johnson won’t need an education. It will be about finding a good place for him to fit into the team’s core. After some of the losses they suffered in free agency, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue. The only thing left unanswered is if the Bears can actually sign him. Other teams have interest as well.
