A day after Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio made comments regarding the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade decision, the Houston Texans' new defensive back took to social media to sound off.
In March, the Eagles made a stunning move when they traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans for offensive guard Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Tuesday, when asked about the trade, Fangio referred to it as "a salary cap thing."
"Howie (Roseman, Eagles GM) made that decision. I was fine with it,” he added. Wednesday, Gardner-Johnson clapped back at his former coordinator via an Instagram story.
"Just don’t do them young guys like yall Did me," Gardner-Johnson posted, including a 100 emoji and a flexed bicep emoji. He quickly added to his story, since deleted, describing how he felt exploited by the Eagles and denied being the problem.
"I was a test dummy for them, so now they can be like my 'scheme' work, or did my skill set make it work." he said. "I had 0 issues, Ppl had issues with me. So Yeah, let the salary cap be the "excuse.""
After signing a three-year, $27 million deal with Philadelphia in 2024, Gardner-Johnson recorded six interceptions, 12 pass breakups and 59 tackles in route to winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles.
The 27-year-old joins a Texans secondary this season loaded with talent, including cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, and free safety Calen Bullock.
The response by Gardner-Johnson to , however, is not surprising.
He's developed a reputation for being very outspoken throughout the course of his NFL career. In 2024, he was voted the league's most annoying player in The Athletics Anonymous NFL Player Poll, and was voted the NFL's biggest trash talker in the publications same survey in 2023.
