Well, if that’s not a good omen, I don’t know what is. The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Saturday afternoon that Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is returning from his stint on injured reserve along with Robert Quinn.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson returns
Losing Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was a tough pill to swallow for the Eagles. He led the NFL in interceptions prior to the injury he suffered in early December, and had single-handedly changed the confidence in the safety position. After being acquired late into the offseason in a trade with the Saints, CJGJ has fit in perfectly and been a true difference-maker in the secondary.
Since his departure, things have been a little wobbly. Reed Blankenship’s early heroics were soon forgotten and replaced with secondary implosions and some huge mistakes on key downs, such as that dreadful 3rd & 30 conversions allowed against Dallas.
There is no doubt that a player of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson’s quality will make a huge impact on this weekend’s clash against the Giants. The Eagles know that a win secures them the #1 seed and a homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Gardner-Johnson’s presence in the secondary will go a long way into making that a reality.
Elsewhere, the return of Robert Quinn is notable. Sure, he may not be the player he used to be, but the Birds just lost Josh Sweat to injury and Brandon Graham can’t do it all himself (although he’s trying). Quinn’s return should give Gannon some more optionality up front and remove some weight from the shoulders of BG.
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