Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is one of the most vocal NFL players on social media. Gardner-Johnson, though, has been surprisingly quiet on his trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Houston Texans this offseason.
At least he was until Monday when Gardner-Johnson shared a reaction to the trade in his Instagram story.
“People showed me their true colors when I got traded, [expletive],” the safety said, via YouTuber: Eagle AL. “That’s why you ain’t heard or seen from me.”
The short message wasn’t so much a response to the trade but a response to the reaction of the deal. But it’s unclear whether the safety was addressing reaction from former teammates, front office personnel, fans or something else.
The Eagles agreed to send Gardner-Johnson to the Texans on March 11. In return, Philadelphia received offensive lineman Kenyon Green. The Eagles and Texans also agreed to swap 2026 Day 3 selections in the trade.
Why Eagles Traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Texans
Philadelphia trading the veteran safety came as a surprise early in NFL free agency. Gardner-Johnson led the Eagles with six interceptions, helping the team win the Super Bowl.
It was his second six-interception campaign with Philadelphia. Interestingly, the other came in 2022. The Eagles also earned a Super Bowl appearance during that season, but after the successful year, Philadelphia didn’t re-sign the veteran safety before free agency.
This offseason, the Eagles shipped Gardner-Johnson to the Texans for an offensive lineman on a rookie contract. The deal gave Philadelphia more financial flexibility at the beginning of NFL free agency.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman essentially explained that was a deciding factor in the Garder-Johnson trade.
“Every dollar that you spend is a dollar less that you can spend on some of these younger players that maybe you want to retain,” Roseman said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Getting out in front of it was important to us. And again, hard decisions. Not asking anyone to agree with them, but that’s part of our job.”
Green could help the Eagles replace Mekhi Becton at right guard. Becton departed Philadelphia in free agency, signing a two-year, $20 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Gardner-Johnson Opens Up on Trade With Instagram Post
Although the safety made it clear in a good-bye post on X (formerly Twitter) that the trade wasn’t his decision, Gardner-Johnson gave such a heartfelt good-bye that there didn’t initially appear to be any beef between him and the team.
“You’ve been more than a city to me — you’ve been a home. From the moment I stepped onto Lincoln Financial, I knew I’d found a place where passion isn’t just celebrated; it’s demanded. And I gave everything, every snap, every hit, every ounce in my bones,” wrote Gardner-Johnson.
“Philly, you helped me carve my name into this league. But this isn’t goodbye. It’s thank you.”
Since posting that message on March 11, perhaps Gardner-Johnson grew upset about Roseman’s honesty. Or, maybe someone else in the organization has said something that irked the safety.
But as he often does in social media posts, Gardner-Johnson left who he was talking about very ambiguous.
It’s not yet clear how the Eagles plan to replace the veteran safety. 26-year-old safety Reed Blankenship, though, appears to be Philadelphia’s future in the back end of the team’s secondary.
Blankenship was second on the team with four interceptions last season.
