Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson didn’t mince words when discussing his tumultuous stint with the Detroit Lions, expressing his relief to be back in Philadelphia as his team prepares to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
“It was hell,” Gardner-Johnson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I got lied to, so it was whatever. I got told, respectfully, I was going to get brought back and didn’t get brought back. And offseason went real for me, signing back here, because I wasn’t really tripping on it. It all worked out.”
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The outspoken safety’s journey from Philadelphia to Detroit and back has been marked by both challenges and triumphs. After leaving the Eagles in 2023, Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Lions when the long-term contract he sought didn’t materialize. His time in Detroit was quickly derailed by a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2, though he managed to return for Week 18 and participated in all three playoff games.
Despite considering his personal season “successful,” Gardner-Johnson’s disdain for his Detroit experience ran deep enough that he chose to conduct most of his injury rehabilitation in Florida rather than staying with the team.
“Truthfully, like in Detroit, it was hell,” he elaborated. “I went there just to—OK, when I got hurt, I was like, (expletive) it.’ That’s why I didn’t go rehab there.”
Now back in Philadelphia, Gardner-Johnson has found his stride again, contributing significantly to one of the NFL’s top defenses. His return to the Eagles has proven important, as he now stands one win away from capturing a Super Bowl championship against the Chiefs, who defeated Philadelphia 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII two seasons ago.
The timing of these comments adds extra intrigue to both Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch and the future regular-season matchup between the Eagles and Lions scheduled to take place in Philadelphia.
