Collin Johnson throws his hat in Bears' WR ring

The Bears’ wide receiver room might be getting a little crowded.

Veteran Collin Johnson — fifth or sixth on the depth chart — earned a little more consideration for a backup spot with three receptions for 56 yards and two touchdowns (nine and 20 yards) from backup quarterback Brett Rypien in the Bears’ 21-17 rain-shortened victory over the Texans in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night in Canton, Ohio.

The 6-6, 220-pound Johnson made a leaping catch over Texans veteran cornerback Mike Ford (10 NFL starts) for a 27-yard gain. He also had a nifty 21-yard catch along the sideline nullified by replay review on a close call that determined he did not maintain possession as he fell to the ground.

“I entered the game with a sense of gratitude and felt honored to play in this amazing game,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long journey for me with injuries and stuff like that, so I just wanted to put my best foot forward — I think I did that.”

Johnson was a fifth-round draft pick of the Jaguars in 2020. He had 18 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. But he has played in just three games in the past two seasons — missing the 2022 season with a torn Achilles.

He was on the Bears’ practice squad most of last season, but was active for three game and had one catch for 11 yards. He’s battling Tyler Scott, Velus Jones, Dante Pettis and Nsimba Webster among others for the likely three wide receiver spots behind DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze.

“I left some plays out there, I’m just going to learn from that,” Johnson said. “I’m just gonna keep my foot on the gas and keep going, keep improving, because that’s all I know.”