Five-year veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson signed a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Gardner-Johnson, a former fourth-round pick, spent the 2023 season with the Detroit Lions but has also played for the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
Eagles are signing Safety/Nickel Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to a 3 year deal worth up to $33 million max value.
His agents Kevin Conner & Robert Brown of @unisportsmgmt confirmed the deal. Back to Philly.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2024
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles, Agree to Contract
The 2023 season was an injury-plagued campaign to forget for C.J. Gardner-Johnson. After signing a one-year contract with the Lions, the safety suffered a training camp knee injury which almost ended his season. While this ended up being a false alarm, he tore his pectoral in Week 2 and landed on the injured reserve. However, despite the severity of the injury, he managed to come back for Detroit’s final regular season game and the postseason run. During the playoffs, the safety recorded 12 tackles, one interception, and one pass defended as the team made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson originally entered the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Selected by the New Orleans Saints, the Florida product began his career as a rotational player before earning a starting job later in the season. Appearing in all 16 games while making seven starts, the rookie finished his inaugural season with one interception, eight passes defended, 49 tackles, four quarterback hits, and six tackles-for-loss.
Gardner-Johnson turned this impressive debut into a starting job in 2020. Appearing in 15 games, the safety finished the season with one interception, 13 passes defended, one sack, 66 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and four quarterback hits. He followed this up by recording three interceptions, seven passes defended, two tackles, and 46 tackles in 2021.
The Saints traded Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles in the final year of his rookie contract. This move brought out the best in the Florida product, as he recorded a league-leading six interceptions in his 12 healthy games. He also added eight passes defended, one sack, and 67 tackles for good measure.
Main Photo: Junfu Han – USA Today Sports
