They say never go back to your ex…but C.J. Gardner-Johnson just had to learn the hard way.
Some of us learn it quickly, for others, it takes a couple of tries before it processes. Don’t go back to your ex! If it’s fate, you will find each other again, but this was not the case for C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Leaving the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2022 season to play for the Detroit Lions in 2023, he signed with them again for the 2024 season and it did not end on good terms. But neither of them seem to be taking it too hard, at least that’s what has been portrayed to the media.
It’s only the third month of 2025 and a couple of tragic trades have been made. It’s okay, we’re in this together, and there’s stuff to be learned from each. So turn up “We Are Never Getting Back Together” and let’s take a look at what we can learn from this Eagles/Gardner-Johnson breakup.
The First Time Around
It started in 2022, the future was looking bright for C.J. Gardner-Johnson and the Philadelphia Eagles. Although he was traded to them by the New Orleans Saints, he entered the training camp projected to be the Eagles’ starting safety. He was then named the starting strong safety for the regular season by head coach Nick Sirianni. Not a bad way to start a relationship, being their number one. On Oct. 9, 2022, he made 10 solo tackles against the Arizona Cardinals. The following week, against the Dallas Cowboys, he recorded three solo tackles and a career-high two interceptions. On Nov. 14, against the Washington Football Team, he recorded six solo tackles, tied his season high of two pass deflections, and set a career-high with six interceptions for the season. The next week, he set another career high with 11 solo tackles.
The start of their relationship was amazing. Gardner-Johnson was setting records, helping the Eagles lead the NFC East with a 14-3 record. Together, they got the first-round bye but C.J. was on injury reserve due to a lacerated injury. With a strong relationship, they made it work, and Gardner-Johnson returned for the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 29, 2023, and recorded two solo tackles, which advanced the Eagles to the Super Bowl. An amazing year together sadly came to an end with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII despite C.J.’s three solo tackles. With the one-year contract up, Eagles fans assumed the team would continue their strong relationship with another commitment for the 2023 season. This was not the case.
A Quick Rebound
Despite this first breakup with the Eagles, C.J. Garnder-Johnson was quickly swept away with lust for the Detroit Lions. On March 20, 2023, the Lions signed Garner-Johnson to a guaranteed one-year $6.5 million contract with a $4 million signing bonus. We’d all be lusting over that now, wouldn’t we? But the avidity was reciprocated by the Lions. After his last season with the Eagles, C.J. made himself irresistible to teams looking for safety to protect their players and their fans' hearts.
The relationship, or season, was quickly realized to be superficial as Gardner-Johnson succumbed to a leg injury during the Lions' training camp. His previously secured spot as starting safety quickly became a competition against Kerby Joseph and Tracy Walker III. Fortunately for Gardner-Johnson and his hard work, all relationships take some work. Head coach Dan Campbell named him starting safety to start the season.
The passion in their relationship was ignited once again as Gardner-Johnson recorded a season-high of eight combined tackles, six being solo during their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 17, 2023. However, C.J. suffered an injury in the fourth quarter and the Lions had to place him on injured reserve once more. Despite this hiccup in the relationship, after 14 weeks without playing a game, the Lions added him back to the active roster to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 7, 2024. During the game, Gardner-Johnson made four solo tackles to round out his season with 17 combined tackles, 16 of which were solo.
While the confidence in C.J. Gardner-Johnson hadn’t seemed to disappear throughout the season despite his injury, the Lions no longer lusted over the talent they acquired. A short but sweet relationship was all that would come out of this one-year contract, but C.J. found that his heart may still belong to his previous team saying “Everybody (lied). It was just certain people at the front office that just, business is business,” he said before adding, “Whatever. I’m not upset.” He was ready for a second chance with his Eagles.
The Second Time Around
Sometimes we contact an ex and they don’t respond, but sometimes they offer you the next three years of their life? Well maybe not for all of us but that’s what happened between the Eagles and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. On March 14, 2024, the team signed Gardner-Johnson to a three-year, $27 million contract including a $10 million guarantee. And without a doubt, he entered the Eagles’ training camp as the starting strong safety. Head coach Nick Sirianni named him the starter after camp. Together again at last, ready to forget the breakup and build together.
During the Week 10 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Gardner-Johnson recorded a season-high seven combined tackles. On Dec. 8, 2024, against the Carolina Panthers, he set a season-high with two pass deflections and a couple of weeks later on Dec. 29 against the Cowboys, he tied his career high of two interceptions and returned one for his first career touchdown. This earned him Defensive Player of the Week. Finishing the regular season with 35 solo tackles, 12 pass deflections, one touchdown, 16 starts for the 16 games played and six interceptions matching his career high, the relationship between the Eagles and Gardner-Johnson was beaming. Just radiating strength, passion and commitment.
The Eagles finished first in the NFC East for the 2024 season, defeating the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wildcard Game. In the Divisional Round, Gardner-Johnson recorded five combined tackles against the Washington Commanders to head into the Super Bowl. I mean how could this not be a strong relationship? From an outside perspective everything seemed to align between the team and C.J., a potential Super Bowl win could solidify their relationship in the long run.
On Feb. 9, 2025, Gardner-Johnson started for the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX and we all know how that went down. With three combined tackles, he won his first Super Bowl ring alongside his team as they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. So after one year he got a ring? That’s gotta mean something right?
The Unforeseen Breakup
Wrong. On March 12, 2025, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for guard Kenyon Green and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. Do rings just mean nothing anymore? Finishing the 2024 season ranked third for interceptions should’ve at least given him some sort of bonus points in the eyes of the Eagles but at last, it did not.
You’d think that during the breakup, everyone would know where they stand. However, in this situation, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was left on read and ghosted. He couldn’t believe it when he heard the trade rumors until it was confirmed by the Eagles. The NFL Network reported on March 11, 2025, that the Eagles had traded him to the Houston Texans. As soon as this was announced, C.J. took to social media to say he thought it was an April Fool’s prank saying “they got me,” before quickly saying that there was “no bad blood” between him and the Eagles.
“It wasn’t no love lost, it wasn’t no bad blood. Them young guys just gotta get paid down there,” C.J. said on his livestream. Well, at least he seems to be taking it well. It was later revealed by Gardner-Johnson that he had communicated with the team saying that if they were to break up, he’d want to go somewhere he “can play winning football” while not referring to a specific team. Ouch. Maybe that gave the Eagles the push to break it off and ghost him? Who knows? Certainly not us as it seems even C.J. was left in the dark.
That being said, if there was “no love lost” should fans be upset about this breakup? The Eagles have made it clear that when it comes to their breakups with players, they like to try and end it on good terms but this seemed a little out of the ordinary for them. While it may be another tragic NFL breakup like the one we just witnessed between the New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers, relationships can’t all be touchdowns and triumphs. Not to mention, we get some relationship advice out of them. The best piece of advice from this love story: don’t ghost–because in football and life, the ones you ignore always find a way to come back and make things interesting. Let’s hope this isn’t the case for the Eagles…but with C.J. Garnder-Johnson now in Houston, the Texans might just be the rebound that turns into the one that got away.
Edited by Madison Roost
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