New Texans DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson ‘still shocked’ Eagles traded him

Gardner-Johnson was a 2019 NFL Draft fourth-round decide of the New Orleans Saints. He performed three seasons for the Saints earlier than he was traded to the Eagles and promptly led the NFL with six interceptions in 2022. He moved on to the Detroit Lions, however performed in simply three 2023 video games as a consequence of an harm. He returned final yr to Philly and began 16 video games, equaled his career-high six picks and posted 59 tackles.

With every thing going so effectively final yr, it isn’t that arduous to know why it has been so tough for Gardner-Johnson to return to grips with being traded. He does not consider he has that luxurious any longer, although.

“I think the emotional state for me right now is cool,” he stated. “You can’t get too much business. But I know there’s other guys that’s depending on me when I got to the team, so I’ve got to make sure that I’m where my feet are. But mentally, I’m going to do what I need to do.”

Leaving the glory achieved with the Eagles behind him and transferring on to the following endeavor at hand is a mind-set Gardner-Johnson believes is not simply the fitting strategy for himself, however a message to move alongside to his new — and impressionable — teammates. Houston is coming off back-to-back Divisional Spherical runs, and CJGJ would possibly simply be an addition that can assist the Texans to an extended postseason run in 2025.

“You’re going to get scored on, you’re going to get run over, you’re going to get run past, but I think why my teammates love me is because I don’t let it sit on my mind,” he stated. “I don’t let it dawn on me because at the end of the day, plays last, what, five, six seconds? You’ve got another one right after it. So, for me, coming here is just installing the next-play mentality. I don’t care what you did last week. You may have caught a pick this play, but next play you might get scored on. So, I think having that hunger of always wanting to win. I could be losing after the littlest blocking drill in practice, it’s going to make me mad. So, I think the littlest things, you’ve got to care about and if you don’t care about them, then why are you in the league?”

Gardner-Johnson would appear to have loads extra time within the league. He is within the AFC for the primary time, although, doing his finest to get previous the shock of being traded by the reigning Tremendous Bowl champs and aiming to maneuver on with the back-to-back AFC South titlists.