Cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson will not be a part of the Philadelphia Eagles' quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions after the organization dealt him to the Houston Texans this offseason. In explaining the move Eagles GM Howie Roseman cited financial considerations as the team has a tremendous amount of talent to manage under a salary cap. Johnson responded by saying in an Instagram Live that Philadelphia probably wouldn't see another ring without him.
In a recent appearance on Ryan Clark's The Pivot podcast, Gardner-Johnson walked that back a bit, saying “I got nothing against them. If they win six more rings without me, they deserve it."
But he also shared his perspective on why he is no longer an Eagle.
"Scared of a competitor," Gardner-Johnson answered (at the 8:10-mark below). "Simple as that."
Asked what he meant, Gardner-Johnson offered up "that you can't program a dog."
The defensive back also recounted his late-season ejection against the Washington Commanders and how the coaches reacted to that, plus brought up a dustup at an Eagles practice during the postseason.
"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?"
Saying a team that just won a Super Bowl is afraid of a competitor is quite something. And it also seems to imply that everyone who is still in Philadelphia isn't a competitor. Which, again, is a curious choice.
The Texans will be Gardner-Johnson's fifth different team in five years and will not face the Eagles this season unless they both reach the Super Bowl.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as C.J. Gardner-Johnson Gave Ridiculous Theory on Why Eagles Traded Him After Super Bowl.
