Who would have thought a preseason trade would have worked out so decently? C.J. Gardner-Johnson was cast aside by the New Orleans Saints but found his place as a beloved member of the Philadelphia Eagles defense... And, then Philly shipped him off.
After an injury-plagued season in the Motor City, the Detroit Lions gave up on C.J. G.J., and the Birds had no issue with bringing him back for another run.
He's reinserted himself into Philly's defensive lineup, but appears to be set to watch the remainder of the Eagles' Week 14 game from the locker room.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson delivers some early excitement but will miss the remainder of the Eagles vs. Panthers game.
It didn't take long for C.J. Gardner-Johnson to put his stamp on Philadelphia's battle with the Carolina Panthers. Nothing says 'machismo' like a hard shot delivered when said shot is clean.
C.J. got the job done here with a massive shot on rookie Carolina Panthers receiver Xavier Legette.
Oh my. We'll just leave this one here 😳@CGJXXIII | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/2oaGvvDFxd
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 8, 2024
Legette would return, and C.J. would exit shortly thereafter. While assisting with a tackle, Gardner-Johnson was injured. He walked off of the field under his own power but entered the locker room after a brief trip to the medical tent.
An official team report stated he was being evaluated for a concussion. He was replaced in the lineup by Avonte Maddox. The Birds are short at safety thanks to C.J.'s injury. Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown had already been ruled out.
Update: C.J. returns to the lineup.
An injured C.J. means the only healthy safeties the Eagles would have on the roster are Maddox, Tristin McCollum, and Andre Sam. The latter was elevated from the practice squad for the Week 14 game.
CJ Gardner-Johnson walked back onto the field still in uniform and went through adjustments with the rest of the secondary shortly thereafter. That alone was good news to report. He has returned to the lineup, and that's the best update you can ask for.