Eagles Star Addresses Fallout After Outspoken Player's Exit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
For the second time in a few years, the Philadelphia Eagles have left their former safety CJ Gardner-Johnson disgruntled. The trend continued at the top of the offseason, when the Eagles traded away Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans.
The deal came as a shock, considering the Eagles had just re-signed the veteran secondary player one offseason ago. When Gardner-Johnson inked his second deal with the Eagles, he did it with intentions of sticking around for multiple seasons.
The Eagles found success with Gardner-Johnson in their secondary once again. Both seasons he played for Philadelphia, the Eagles made a run to the Super Bowl to face the Kansas City Chiefs. The first time, the Eagles couldn't come out on top, with their defense infamously struggling against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City's attack.
The second time around, Gardner-Johnson and many Eagles players won their first Super Bowl, getting revenge over Mahomes and the Chiefs. While the defensive line's ability to get to Mahomes was the X-Factor to the win, the secondary did its part and helped the Eagles secure their second Super Bowl win in franchise history.
Gardner-Johnson had an opportunity to celebrate for the moment, but it wouldn't be long before he was sent packing. Recently, Eagles safety Reed Blankenship addressed the loss of Gardner-Johnson to a scrum of reporters, wishing Gardner-Johnson well while remaining confident in his squad.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson #8 and Reed Blankenship #32 of the Philadelphia Eagles look on against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson #8 and Reed Blankenship #32 of the Philadelphia Eagles look on against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."Obviously, you don't know as a player. I don't make those decisions, but he was a great player for us, and I wish him the best in Houston, too," Blakenship told reporters this week, via NJ.com. "But it's the next guys up in the room. I feel like we got the guys in the locker room to fill that position in. It's gonna be tough, but it is what it is. It's a business out there."
When Eagles' defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told reporters that the Gardner-Johnson move was a "salary cap-type thing" that he supported, Gardner-Johnson clearly didn't appreciate the messaging.
"I was a test dummy for them," the safety wrote on Instagram. "So, now they can be like my 'scheme' work, or did my skill set make it work?" I had zero issues. [People] had issues with me. So, yeah, let the salary cap be the 'excuse.'"
As Gardner-Johnson prepares for a fresh start with the Texans, who've become his fourth team, the Eagles seem more than ready to move on. As the young secondary showed plenty of promise beyond Gardner-Johnson, Blankenship and the Eagles are ready to utilize their next-man-up mentality.
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