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The Philadelphia Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston this offseason in a salary dump. From the defensive back’s perspective, there was another reason he was shipped out of Philly.
During an interview with The Pivot podcast, Gardner-Johnson was asked by Ryan Clark why he was no longer in Philly following such a successful, Super Bowl-winning stint.
“Scared of a competitor,” Gardner-Johnson answered. “Simple as that.”
Asked what he meant by that, the DB responded, “You can’t program a dawg.”
Gardner-Johnson sounded as though he didn’t have the backing of the staff and felt he was always blamed when things went sideways, citing his ejection from a late-season game against the Washington Commanders. He also noted that he was blamed for a postseason practice fight.
“We had a little scrum at practice,” Gardner-Johnson said. “Nothing, just offense versus defense, but who’s the culprit of it? Me. I guess, because we’re competing. Well, you tell me the period is live. You’re telling us not to compete during a live period, but it’s a live period, and we’re getting ready for a playoff game?”
CJGJ said his former teammates never had an issue with how he handled himself.
“You want me to be a leader and outspoken, but then you want me to sit back,” Gardner-Johnson said. “There’s nowhere been a locker room where I had a single issue with a teammate.”
When Howie Roseman traded Gardner-Johnson this offseason, he cited financial reasons, noting that the Eagles had other players they were trying to lock down and fit under the cap.
Following the trade, the defensive back posted a video on social media in which he said the Eagles “probably won’t see a ring without me.” It was a comment he walked back, noting he “retracts” the reaction.