Last summer, the Detroit Lions made a significant effort to help their struggling secondary by signing safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson away from the NFC Champions Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, after an injury-plagued season, Johnson could be on his way out of Detroit and back to Philadelphia.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles intend to re-sign Johnson in free agency to fortify their secondary. According to Fowler, other clubs may be interested in the veteran safety.
“A C.J. Gardner-Johnson reunion in Philadelphia is on my radar,” Fowler said in an email. “The Eagles realized they were missing a talented safety in the secondary.” Tennessee makes sense for him, too. Dennard Wilson, the Titans defensive coordinator, is a huge fan of Gardner-Johnson from their days in Philadelphia.”
Safety’s Tough Season in Detroit
The Lions had high hopes for Gardner-Johnson, who had received high accolades from general manager Brad Holmes and was expected to take over as starter. During the team’s minicamp in June, head coach Dan Campbell remarked that Gardner-Johnson was already taking on leadership responsibilities and pushing teammates.
“He’s got a contagious energy,” Campbell stated on June 7. “One of the reasons C.J. [Gardner-Johnson] is that way is because that’s how he starts his engine. As a result, it simply spills over to the offense and your teammates.
“You can’t help the intensity. It increases. “I believe that makes everyone around you better and more competitive.”
The energy did not endure long during the regular season. Johnson suffered a ruptured pectoral muscle in a Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and was placed on injured reserve until the season’s end.
Gardner-Johnson was not the only newcomer to the secondary who suffered an injury in 2023. The Lions also signed cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who was injured in his first game back after recovering from a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be headed somewhere.
Other insiders believe Gardner-Johnson will not return to Detroit in 2024. Dallas Robinson of the Pro Football Network anticipated that he would sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Steelers slot corner Chandon Sullivan is on track for free agency, while Pittsburgh might try to find a better second safety to play opposite Minkah Fitzpatrick this offseason,” Robinson said in a blog post.
“Gardner-Johnson might compete for both spots and shouldn’t cost much after missing the majority of the 2023 season with a pectoral ailment. Another one-year contract in the $6-8 million area may make sense.”
According to SI.com’s Vito Chirco, Detroit’s chances of re-signing the veteran safety may depend on the type of contract he seeks in 2024. According to Chirco, the Lions may be able to re-sign Garder-Johnson on a short-term basis, but they are unlikely to match long-term bids.
“Gardner-Johnson made $6.5 million on his one-year deal with the Lions in 2023,” the writer stated. “If I were Holmes, I’d be willing to re-sign Duce to a comparable short-term contract (one or two years for no more than $7 million per season).
“But, if he wants a long-term deal, I’d be out on the Gardner-Johnson sweepstakes.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter for Heavy.com who focuses on the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. Previously, he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and worked as an assistant editor for athletic trade journals Coaching Management, Athletic Management, and Training and Conditioning. He lives in Rochester, New York, and is a huge football fan. More on Nathan Dougherty.
