Former Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has not be shy about sharing his feelings about the team and some members of the organization.
The Eagles traded Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans during the offseason in exchange for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth round pick. Gardner-Johnson played two seasons for Philadelphia in 2022 and 2024. Both seasons the Eagles went to the Super Bowl.
Last week, Gardner-Johnson went after his former defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, after Fangio's comments about Eagles general manager Howie Roseman saying it was a "salary cap" decision. Gardner-Johnson went on social media to react.
"Just don’t do them young guys like yall Did me
I was a test dummy for them, so now they can be like my ‘scheme’ work, or did my skill set make it work 💯.
I had 0 issues. People had issues with me. So yeah let the salary cap be the ‘excuse.
“You can’t program a dog 💯"
Some of these posts have since been deleted as Gardner-Johnson still feels the emotions of being traded. A new interview has his sights on another target within the organization.
Gardner-Johnson continued to share his thoughts on Eagles with Roseman the target
KPRC 2 NBC in Houston shared an exclusive interview with Gardner-Johnson, in which they discussed his decision to join the Texans and his time with the Eagles. Gardner-Johnson talked about the disrespect he has felt from playing in the NFL.
“I feel highly disrespected, but it’s a business,” Gardner-Johnson via KPRC 2. “Never was an All-Pro or Pro Bowl! Never! Led the league in interceptions. What more do you want?"
The topic of the Eagles was brought up as Gardner-Johnson discussed Roseman's explanation of salary cap being part of the reason for the move. Gardner-Johnson did not buy that excuse.
“It wasn’t about money. If it was about money, everybody would have been gone. How can I say this the most respectful way? Saquon deserved it. Zack deserved it, but the reasons behind it, the fans don’t deserve that reason.
“It’s deeper than that. The fans don’t deserve, ‘It’s about the money,’ because if that was the case, my contract was safe.”
In two seasons with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson racked up 126 tackles, 20 pass deflections, 12 interceptions, seven tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and one defensive touchdown. He played well in the postseason for the Eagles as he made 26 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass deflection in seven games.
There's no denying the impact Gardner-Johnson had on the secondary. He was one of the emotional leaders of the unit and brought the energy the unit needed.
The reality is with the amount of money spent on free agents over the last few years had the team make some tough decisions. Guys like Darius Slay and James Bradberry had to be cut as well with Avonte Maddox not getting re-signed. Not to mention Milton Williams and Josh Sweat getting bigger pay days elsewhere.
It's a bitter pill to swallow for Gardner-Johnson. Still, young players like Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Reed Blankenship showing promise helped the team make the necessary decision for the future. Roseman is going to have to pay other players, such as Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, soon, so it had to be done.
Eagles fans will be grateful for what Gardner-Johnson did for the team, but this back and forth regarding the organization is some everyone is ready to move on from. The team has to focus on repeating as champions in 2025.
