Eagles Super Bowl winner avoids season-ending injury after initial media report

The Philadelphia Eagles have a complex relation with defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson. While the Eagles have used his turnover-generating abilities to great effect, especially in their 2024 Super Bowl run, Philly also let him leave once in free agency and traded him away after their title.

Gardner-Johnson was flipped to another contender in the Houston Texans in exchange for struggling former first-round pick Kenyon Green. CGJ was thought to be the missing piece a very talented, but very young, Texans secondary needed to take the next step in the AFC. That vision almost went up in smoke instantly.

NFL insider Aaron Wilson originally reported that Gardner-Johnson had suffered a torn ACL before the season even started, knocking out what was supposed to be a year in which he made the Eagles regret trading him away. However, that report did not hold up.

Both Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported that Gardner-Johnson's injury is not a torn ACL and that tests will determine the severity. Even if CGJ misses some time, it looks like he'll still be able to use his ballhawking skills and Super Bowl pedigree to great effect.

Former Eagles DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson avoids torn ACL

After three solid seasons with the New Orleans Saints, the Eagles acquired Gardner-Johnson and instantly made him one of the game's more impactful defensive backs. He intercepted six passes on an Eagles team that made it to the Super Bowl before Patrick Mahomes won it at the last second.

The Eagles chose not to bring back Gardner-Johnson for 2023, as he signed a big free agent contract with the Detroit Lions. After taking some shots at Philly before leaving, CGJ played just three games in Detroit as a result of his injury. In 2024, he found himself back in Philadelphia.

Gardner-Johnson tallied six interceptions in the 2024 season, covering a ton of ground for one of the best secondaries in the league. The Eagles' financial picture may have forced a trade away, but that is by no means an admission of Philly believing that he has declined in quality.

CGJ can be a prickly and loud personality at times, but his services to a championship team in Philadelphia will never be forgotten. He might miss some time as a result of this injury, but it appears as though they avoided the worst-case scenario.