Texans Releasing CJ Gardner-Johnson Days After Tussle With Baker Mayfield Has Fans in Splits – “Bro Getting Passed Around”

CJ Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Houston Texans after winning Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Texans Releasing CJ Gardner-Johnson Days After Tussle With Baker Mayfield Has Fans in Splits – “Bro Getting Passed Around”

Texans safety CJ Gardner-Johnson and Bucs QB Baker Mayfield (Image via Sleeper/X)

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The Houston Texans traded for CJ Gardner-Johnson with the hopes that he would help their Super Bowl aspirations the same way he did for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The safety is known for his brash ways and his loud mouth. But no team can deny that he pours his heart and soul onto the field whenever he is on it. The Texans wanted that to be the catalyst for their defense this year.

The franchise, however, has not opened the season the way they would have liked, losing all three battles. In the latest of those against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gardner-Johnson was somewhat responsible for their opponent’s go-ahead score.

The stat sheet would show that second-year corner Kamari Lassiter was responsible for Jags wideout Brian Thomas Jr. bursting open for a 46-yard catch and run to the Texans’ 10-yard line.

However, it was a botched coverage from CJ Gardner-Johnson that allowed the Jags’ wideout to get a free run down the field. He was supposed to cover any in-breaking routes as part of their Cover 0 formation.

Instead, he focuses on the outside receiver, leaving Thomas Jr. enough room to catch the ball and set his Jaguars up for their go-ahead touchdown. Lassiter was seen fuming on the field, throwing up his arms, gesturing as to why his teammate blew up the assignment.

These and other chemistry and accountability-related issues led the Texans to nip this issue in the bud. They released the 27-year-old safety after just 3 games, leaving him as a free agent months after winning Super Bowl LIX.

Fans troll CJ Gardner-Johnson after Texans release him

When this news reached football fans, they were rolling on the floor. Many could not believe CJ Gardner-Johnson was left unemployed, especially after having a trash-talk battle with Baker Mayfield in their Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They believe that all the talk, with no real impact on the team, led the Houston Texans to cut bait with the safety. Fans felt that the franchise would have kept him if his performances matched his theatrics.

However, over the past few years, the mouth has been working more than his impact on the field, and that is starting to show. First to be let go by the Eagles, and then the Texans, shows that teams are losing faith in the Florida native. Check out examples of those reactions below:

This release could make CJ Gardner-Johnson a highly sought-after free agent. Teams with a need at safety could go after the 7-year veteran. However, the news of his chemistry issues could put many teams off, especially when they are trying to make the most out of their current squads.

CJ Gardner-Johnson could return to Eagles

After winning Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles decided that their young core was good enough to continue their competitive run in the league. That is why they let CJ Gardner-Johnson walk.

CJ Gardner-Johnson won Super Bowl LIX with Eagles
CJ Gardner-Johnson won Super Bowl LIX with Eagles (Image via Dylan Mehl/X)

The Texans, on the other hand, wanted the safety to be the spark in their secondary. However, his problems gelling with the team proved to be a bigger problem than they anticipated.

That problem was big enough that they turned to 34-year-old Jimmie Ward, who is coming off the PUP list, to take over from Gardner-Johnson. With this release, the latter can choose his next destination, but it has to be a team that needs him as a starter.

The Philadelphia Eagles could do the ultimate Houdini move and sign him back to a bargain-basement contract. His past back-and-forth with Darius Slay will not return as the veteran corner is no longer with the team.

That leaves him with a chance to again play in a familiar system, and alongside the same players who helped him win his first Super Bowl ring. The only problem is that the Eagles do not have a roster spot open currently.

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