The Philadelphia Eagles made a business decision when they moved on from C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
They traded the safety to the Houston Texans shortly after winning Super Bowl LIX, with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio saying it was a financially based decision.
Gardner-Johnson didn’t care for those comments and took several shots at his former team.
Now that he’s had some time to cool off, he went out of his way to backpedal and clear the air on this situation.
“I retract them,” Gardner-Johnson said, via “The Pivot.” “And I won’t even say it because I played with those guys. I know how they would feel, like, ‘Chauncey, you’re tripping.’ … Lane Johnson, respectfully. Lane is my big vet, and Lane would tell me, ‘I got your back, but when you do too much, I don’t got your back,’ and that’s one of those moments that’s too much. Apologizing to the guys in Philly, I got nothing against them. If they win six more rings without me, they deserve it because that’s the type of players they are.”
CJ Gardner Johnson take back his comments that “The Eagles will not win another ring without him” and apologize to his old teammates especially Lane Johnson pic.twitter.com/hywV4YRiuW
— YouTuber: Eagle AL (@kb_973) July 15, 2025
As a competitor, Gardner-Johnson took a big hit to his ego with the trade.
It’s not easy to see your team moving on, but players shouldn’t take things personally in this business.
Gardner-Johnson had a great run with the Eagles, and no one can take his Super Bowl ring away.
Now, he will enter this season with a huge chip on his shoulder, and he’ll be extra motivated to prove that he’s worth every penny the Texans are about to pay him.
Houston boasts a solid defense with a strong combination of youth and veteran leadership.
It will also look to bounce back after a somewhat disappointing season, and having Gardner-Johnson looking to make a statement might be just what it needs.
