NFL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Power Rankings

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson celebrates on the stage during the championship trophy presentation after the Eagles' game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

CJ Gardner-Johnson Wants Back, Should Eagles Reunite?

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 1:00 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles have a long offseason ahead and aren't currently flush with salary cap space.

Philadelphia is currently 18th in the league and is projected to have just over $18 million in salary cap space. It's important to note that the offseason is still very young. The new league year hasn't even started yet and won't until March. The Eagles have time to open up more salary cap space. For Philadelphia, its biggest roster holes right now are the No. 2 outside cornerback spot, the edge and offensive line depth.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Safety is a bit of a question right now as well, with Reed Blankenship and Marcus Epps both pending free agents. There's been a lot of buzz over the last couple of days about the position as old friend CJ Gardner-Johnson made it sound like he'd be open to coming back to Philadelphia while speaking to streamer Raud.

"Hell yeah," Gardner-Johnson said about the idea of returning. "Tell the boys to get with me."

Should the Eagles reunite?

Let's examine whether this idea actually would make sense.

Eagles' Safety Outlook
Blankenship and Epps are pending free agents. Andrew Mukuba is heading into his second season in the National Football League and will play a big role if healthy. He showed all of the promise Philadelphia could've hoped for in 2025 while playing in 11 games, including 10 starts. Sydney Brown is under contract for 2026, but is more of a depth option than someone to be depended on as a starter in 2026. With all of that being said, the Eagles need to add one or two more options.

Gardner-Johnson Vs. Blankenship
The Eagles have a good building block in Mukaba and pairing him with a veteran would go a long way. Blankenship played in 16 games for the Eagles in the regular season in 2025 and had one interception, four passes defended, 83 tackles and held opposing quarterbacks to a 68.4 completion percentage on 38 targets. He allowed just two touchdowns in coverage.

Gardner-Johnson had a wild season that had stops with the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears, along with a brief practice squad stint with the Baltimore Ravens. He played in 13 games overall and had two interceptions, four passes defended, one forced fumble, three sacks, 66 tackles and held opposing quarterbacks to a 66.7 completion percentage on 66 targets, to go along with three touchdowns in coverage.

Blankenship is projected to land a two-year deal worth just over $14 million, per Spotrac. Gardner-Johnson is projected to land a one-year deal worth just over $2 million.

Verdict
If this contract projection from Spotrac is accurate, it's hard to argue against Gardner-Johnson as a better option. He brings energy with him and although there was some drama in Philadelphia, there's no denying the talent. He has played two seasons in Philadelphia and had six interceptions in both. Blankenship is a fan favorite in his own right. It would be great to have either in 2026. If the contract projections are accurate, then you could get better value with Gardner-Johnson, though.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: