The turnover of the Philadelphia Eagles defense continued on Tuesday when C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s name was linked to trade reports.
The defensive back was traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Kenyon Green, according to multiple reports. The trade package will also send a 2026 fifth-round draft pick to the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles. In addition to Gardner-Johnson, Houston will acquire a future sixth-round pick.
The 2024 season marked Gardner-Johnson’s second stint with the Eagles after initially playing with Philadelphia in 2022. He departed after that season and spent the 2023 campaign with the Detroit Lions.
Gardner-Johnson rejoined the Eagles last year and signed a three-year deal with the team.
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He was a key part of the Eagles’ vaunted defense this past year and finished the regular season with six interceptions. Gardner-Johnson also recorded six interceptions with the Eagles two seasons ago.
Despite the likelihood of him wearing a different uniform next season, Gardner-Johnson suggested the Eagles and the city of Philadelphia will continue to hold a special place in his heart.
“I love you Philly, we forever champions,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Gardner-Johnson’s relationship with the Eagles fanbase has appeared to be tense at times. Shortly after his first stint with the team ended, he characterized at least some Philadelphia residents as “obnoxious.”
“My least favorite thing … is the people,” Gardner-Johnson said during a Twitch live stream in 2023. “They’re f—-g obnoxious, I f—–g can’t stand the f—–s.” He added that he did enjoy the city’s weather.
Gardner-Johnson handled the starting safety duties for the Eagles in 2024 and recorded three tackles during the team’s 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
The 27-year-old sparked some controversy shortly after the Eagles won the second Vince Lombardi Trophy in franchise history when he took aim at Travis Kelce — and effectively at his romantic partner Taylor Swift — in a social media post.
In a vulgar caption of a photo of himself engaging with Kelce on the football field, Gardner-Johnson suggested Kelce “should’ve stayed” with his ex-girlfriend. He doubled down on his stance when he arrived at the Eagles Super Bowl victory parade with a hoodie that read, “Swifties can LIX my b—-.”
A Florida restaurant owned by Gardner-Johnson’s mother, Del Johnson, was then targeted by some fans who took offense to the message displayed on the NFL star’s attire. The Kings Grill in Rockledge, Florida received a flurry of negative Yelp reviews.
Fans of singer Taylor Swift, who are often referred to as “Swifties,” appeared to be responsible for at least the initial stream of bad Google reviews and negative Yelp reviews for the Kings Grill. The unfavorable reviews were later removed and Yelp placed an “unusual activity alert” on the restaurant’s page which “temporarily disabled the posting of content.”
While the Eagles were able to retain linebacker Zack Baun, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams reportedly agreed to deals with other NFL teams this week. Meanwhile, defensive backs Darius Slay and James Bradberry were released.
Philadelphia did appear to address its backup quarterback role by trading Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
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