Eagles trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston in excchange for a fifth-round pick

The Houston Texans receive C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-round pick in exchange for Kenyon Green and a fifth-round pick

Eagles trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston in excchange for a fifth-round pick

C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Image via Sports Illustrated)

Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles have recovered from their Super Bowl hangover. The team has already begun preparations to repeat their success next season by staying active in the off-season. One of the first moves the team made was to trade backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns, but their latest move is a lot more surprising.

The Eagles have traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans in exchange for guard Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick as per Ian Rapoport. In exchange, Houston received a sixth-round pick along with the safety. This trade was unexpected because the safety is the epitome of loyalty and bleeding green.

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For the entirety of the season, C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been vocal about his love and commitment toward the city of Philadelphia. The last thing he could have foreseen is to be traded right after winning a Super Bowl.

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The safety had a good run in Philly, last season he had 59 combined tackles, 12 passes broken, 6 interceptions, and a forced fumble over 16 games. However, the 27-year-old gained notoriety for his trash-talking.

From talking smack to Deebo Samuel after their matchup this season to trolling Travis Kelce on the field during the Super Bowl, C.J. Gardner-Johnson loves to get into his opponents’ minds. He has been penalized for his actions on many occasions but none of that has deterred him from being the ‘bad guy’ who goes after everyone.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a loud presence in the Eagles locker room

While it is easy for fans of other teams to dislike him, C.J. Gardner-Johnson backs his talk with his game. It should be noted that he was an important presence who would uplift his teammates and have their back constantly. ESPN’s Ryan Clark had at one point gone to state that Johnson is as important of a player as Jalen Hurts due to his intangibles.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2)
C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Image via Open Source)

He has had an interesting relationship with Philly because he was traded to them in 2022, then traded again in 2023 to the Lions but returned to the City of Brotherly Love last season. History says that there is a good chance Gardner-Johnson will return to the Eagles once again. But for this season, C.J. will root for another man with whom he shares the same initials. C.J. Stroud will be glad to have a trash talker of his caliber in the Texans’ locker room.

Houston needed a safety as they lost starter Eric Murray to the Jaguars. Gardner-Johnson will be a right fit on this team as the Texans’ defense ranked sixth in passing yards and 13th in scoring defense this season. It was an emotional goodbye for him and he posted a short and sweet message for his team.

I love you Philly, we forever champions

CJ Gardner-Johnson tweeted

His jibes at Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift will be hard to forget for the Eagles fanbase. Gardner-Johnson went after them during Super Bowl LIX after the game, taunting their relationship and expressing his dislike of the Chiefs by wearing a sweatshirt with vulgar language directed at the team’s fanbase. Irrespective of his shenanigans, Philly will have love for him.

Houston did not hesitate in trading Green because he had not been as effective in protecting C.J. Stroud. They are overhauling their O-line as they parted ways with Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason earlier. It will be interesting to see how C.J. Gardner-Johnson will perform in Houston. He joins a division that is far less competitive than the NFC East. With the likes of Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Tennessee present in the AFC South, they all have average offenses at best which means more opportunities for him to shine.