Even when things can really change on a team, anyone who played on the Philadelphia Eagles in the past finds themselves wanting to come back to Philly and run it back.
One player who knows this better than anyone else is former Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who played for the team in two different tenures with the team. A viral video has surfaced featuring Gardner-Johnson, who was asked about the possibility of returning to the Eagles in 2026, and he made it clear how he feels about it.
“Tell them boys to get with me.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson wants to return to the Eagles in 2026
Gardner-Johnson has played just two seasons with the Eagles, but they were non-consecutive years as he was there in 2022 and 2024. Ironically, both seasons ended with Philly in the Super Bowl, as he helped the team win it all in 2024.
His best two seasons of his NFL career came in Philly, when he had six interceptions in each. He also had 126 tackles, 20 pass deflections, seven tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one sack, one forced fumble, and one pick-six in 28.
The Eagles do have questions about the safety position entering the offseason, as Reed Blankenship and Marcus Epps are both free agents, and 2025 second-round pick Andrew Mukuba is coming off a season where he broke his ankle with four games remaining on the year. Gardner-Johnson played last season with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, and played the last 10 games with the Chicago Bears.
Bringing back Gardner-Johnson would get no objections from Eagles fans, but he didn't exactly end things in Philly the best way after they traded him to Houston last offseason. Gardner-Johnson was very critical of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman for the move, but has since apologized for his remarks.
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If Blankenship ends up signing elsewhere in free agency, the Eagles might have to consider Gardner-Johnson as a solid backup plan at safety. A lot can happen in between then to see if a reunion is possible.