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CJ Gardner-Johnson reacts in disbelief to trade from Philadelphia Eagles
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Former Florida DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson initially did not believe he had been traded from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles sent Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans in exchange for former Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green on Tuesday. The teams are also swapping 2026 fifth- and sixth-round draft picks in the deal.
When Eagles GM Howie Roseman called Gardner-Johnson about the trade, the veteran defensive back said he thought it was an early April Fool’s prank.
“I thought it was April Fools”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 11, 2025
CJ Gardner Johnson thought Howie Roseman and the Eagles were joking about trading him. CJ says there is no bad blood. He says it was explained to him the Eagles had to pay their younger players like Jalen Carter, Reed Blankenship, Zack Baun
“It… pic.twitter.com/uSeqsdijbb
Gardner-Johnson, who played under his first name Chauncey at Florida, said there’s no “bad blood,” and he understands that the team faces a salary crunch. After all, he leaves Philadelphia with a Super Bowl ring.
It’s the 4th consecutive season Gardner-Johnson is on the move. After playing at Florida from 2016-18, Gardner-Johnson was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 105 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Gardner-Johnson was with the Saints for his first 3 seasons, making the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2019. Ahead of the 2022 season, he was traded to Philadelphia.
In his first stint with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson was the NFL interceptions co-leader with 6 picks. In offseason free agency, Gardner-Johnson signed a 1-year deal with the Detroit Lions for 2023. He missed much of the 2023 season after a torn pectoral.
In 2024, it was back to Philadelphia for Gardner-Johnson. Last season, he was a 16-game starter, recording 59 tackles and 12 passes defended with 6 interceptions. He started all 4 postseason games, logging 14 tackles.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
