Former Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson left Philly this offseason but couldn’t help himself from taking a punch at quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Philadelphia Eagles’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson is what you might call an incendiary personality, so it’s no surprise to see him make headlines yet again. The notorious trash-talker took a one-year dirt cheap deal with the Detroit Lions after it was clear the Eagles weren’t planning to bring him back, and Gardner-Johnson is probably biting his tongue at how that played out.
Earlier this offseason, he overvalued himself during the start free agency, turned down the Eagles’ initial extension, quickly found out that his market was dwindling and ended up signing with a team he claims is “better” than Philly.
Gardner-Johnson has no one to blame but himself for failing to secure his bag, and he directed some of his frustrations at the Philly fanbase following his move.
Still seething and steaming, he’s going after the players now, too.
In a not-so-subtle dig, Gardner-Johnson responded to a PFF tweet that asked its audience which young quarterback deserved the biggest contract. The options were Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Lamar Jackson.
Out of those quarterbacks, Gardner-Johnson has only played with Hurts but said Jackson deserves the most money, including three talking head emojis for good measure.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson picks Lamar Jackson over Jalen Hurts in petty social media move
Both Jackson and Hurts share similarities in terms of their playing style, and one could reasonably argue for one or the other to earn more money. However, given that Gardner-Johnson has spent a year with Hurts and has no experience with Jackson, it seems like the safety is picking sides in a very petty and snarky way.
And he’s definitely not with Hurts, or anyone within the Eagles franchise for that matter.
Watching Philly sign ex-Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds this past week must have felt like a knife to the heart for Gardner-Johnson, who was once touted to receive the franchise tag from the Eagles. Oh, how times have changed in the span of just a few months.
Edmunds joined the Eagles on a one-year deal, the exact details of which have not been announced, and it’d be intriguing to see how his deal compares to Gardner-Johnson’s one-year, $8 million contract with the Lions.
Prior to the Edmunds signing, Philadelphia felt confident in bringing back defensive stars James Bradberry and Darius Slay and reportedly viewed Gardner-Johnson as a “risk” — based on how Gardner-Johnson has acted in these last few days, the franchise may have been on the nose about that one.
Maybe in a year’s time, the salt in the wound will eventually wash away. For now, watch out: Gardner-Johnson is out on a personal mission to burn all his bridges in Philly.
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Author: Kristen Wong
March 25, 2023 | 3:28 pm
