Just twelve months after a contentious departure from the City of Brotherly Love, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is already making it clear he wants back in. As a restricted free agent, he will enter free agency next month. But before that, on a call with streamer Raud, he made his stance clear on a reunion with the Eagles.

“H*** Yeah. Tell them boys to get with me,” Gardner-Johnson said.

Gardner-Johnson entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2019 and spent his first three seasons playing for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints then traded him to the Eagles ahead of the 2022 season, and he immediately made an impact in Philly. Despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney that year, Gardner-Johnson tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions and became the only Eagles player since 1970 to record interceptions in five straight games.

After that season, the veteran safety hit free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. But the Eagles brought him back in March 2024 by signing him to a three-year, $33 million contract. He rewarded that decision by recording 59 tackles and six interceptions in 2024 to help the Eagles win a Super Bowl in the 2024 season. At that point, it seemed like Gardner-Johnson had found stability in Philly, but it did not last.

Despite the championship run, the Eagles traded Gardner-Johnson in March last year in exchange for offensive lineman Kenyon Green to the Houston Texans. In Houston, Gardner-Johnson then started three games for a struggling 0-3 team, compiling 15 tackles while allowing six catches on eight targets. The Texans released him shortly after, and he briefly joined the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, only to be released a week later.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Midway through the 2025 season, as the Bears faced injuries to cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, the team was forced to look for reinforcements, and they found it by adding Gardner-Johnson. He then offered versatility and experience to the Bears while being reunited with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who previously coached him in New Orleans from 2019 to 2021. 

The Bears then used the former fourth-round pick creatively by lining him up in the slot, sending him blitzing off the edge, and even deploying him as a hybrid linebacker in certain packages. In the 10 games that Gardner-Johnson played for the Bears, he recorded two interceptions and three sacks. 

Still, durability remains a concern with Gardner-Johnson. Over the past few seasons, he has dealt with multiple lower-leg injuries and even missed the Bears’ Wild Card matchup against the Green Bay Packers due to a concussion. When he’s good, though, he produces impressive numbers, such as his 59 tackles and 12 pass deflections in his Super Bowl year for the Eagles. 

At 28 years old, Gardner-Johnson is likely to approach the final major contract of his career. Should Chicago invest in another veteran with an injury history, or would it be wiser to pivot toward younger, more durable options?

From a financial standpoint, the Bears could benefit if Gardner-Johnson’s market remains modest after a half-season stint. But that gamble only works if Gardner-Johnson stays on the field for all the games in the 2026 season.

At the same time, Gardner-Johnson himself wants to leave Chicago and go back to a place that he left last year. 

Why did the Eagles trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson last year?

When the Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston, the team’s general manager, Howie Roseman, cited financial flexibility and long-term roster management behind the move.

The trade did help the Eagles manage a $4.9 million cap hit ahead of his contract year and allowed them to invest in younger and cheaper talent before the 2025 season. Gardner-Johnson, however, offered a different perspective on the trade months later.

“Scared of a competitor,” Gardner-Johnson said during an interview on The Pivot podcast in July last year. “Simple as that. You can’t program a dawg.”

While the veteran safety pointed out that he was too competitive for the Eagles, he also revealed that he felt a lack of support from the Eagles’ coaching staff after his ejection in the Week 16 game during the 2024 season.

Gardner-Johnson also believed that the Eagles unfairly blamed him for a practice scrum during that season and sent mixed messages about his leadership style.

“You want me to be a leader and outspoken, but then you want me to sit back,” Gardner-Johnson said. “There’s nowhere been a locker room where I had a single issue with a teammate.”

Gardner-Johnson’s outspoken personality has always fueled his brand and occasionally stirred controversy. While some NFL teams and fans have loved that edge, it has also contributed to Gardner-Johnson’s nomadic path over the past few seasons in the league. So, Gardner-Johnson could be on the move again this offseason if the Bears choose to move on from him. 

However, if the Eagles chose to reunite with Gardner-Johnson again, he could bolster their secondary and mentor younger defensive backs on handling pressure. Besides, Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni had also revealed last year that he missed having Gardner-Johnson in his defense.

So, as free agency nears, Gardner-Johnson isn’t shy about where he wants to play, but the question is whether the Eagles want him back again.