Last year, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was one of the best players for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. The 25-year-old safety was the NFL’s co-leader in interceptions (six) and made his frustrations known with the Eagles’ defensive play not long after their Super Bowl loss.
But with the Eagles in dire salary cap straits for the time being, they couldn’t afford to keep Gardner-Johnson around. No matter. An elite back-end defender like him would have no trouble finding a new team on the open market. He probably would’ve been snatched up right away by a lucky organization!
About that. It’s Day 4 of 2023 NFL free agency, and Gardner-Johnson remains unsigned. It’s clear exactly what the hold-up is for a player like him, but Gardner-Johnson seemed to offer some clarity in a now-deleted tweet.
He’s apparently getting lowball offers. Or, at least they’re lower than he expected after being a key cog on a Super Bowl-level defense.
Someone like Gardner-Johnson taking almost an entire workweek to find a new team is a bit peculiar. But then again, after an apparent left-right debate with now-Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive Orlando Brown Jr., this kind of situation appears to be the norm during this year’s free agency.
One thing is for certain. Whoever eventually gives into Gardner-Johnson’s expectations (or if he budges himself) will be slotting a valuable defender into their secondary.