Vic Fangio has blunt response to Philadelphia Eagles' C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade

Back in March, the Philadelphia Eagles traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans in exchange for guard Kenyon Green. As part of the deal, the teams also swapped draft picks: Philadelphia picked up a 2026 fifth-rounder, while Houston received a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Given the Eagles’ lack of depth at safety, the move caught many by surprise, including Gardner-Johnson himself, who thought it was an April Fool's joke. 

He did eventually come around to saying that he understood it was a business decision to eventually help pay for the up and coming young guys on the roster. 

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio also understood it was strictly a business decision and went as far as to say that he was "fine" with it as opposed to keeping him in Philly. 

“You know, that was a salary cap thing,” Fangio said. “Howie made that decision. I was fine with it.”

Overall, the trade didn't save the Eagles a ton of cap space, but it did free ups some for next off-season when it is time to pay big bucks to the younger stars, such as Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.

And while the Eagles are without Gardner-Johnson, their safety group is less experienced but loaded with a ton of potential. Reed Blankenship becomes the veteran leader, while Sydney Brown’s recovery from a torn ACL will be key. Second-year Cooper DeJean could contribute in multiple roles, adding versatility to the secondary. Though unproven, the group offers speed, flexibility, and room to grow under Fangio’s system, which is clearly why the trade did not faze him. 

Meanwhile, Gardner-Johnson will be just fine as he enters his seventh NFL season this fall and is far from washed up after leading the Eagles' defense with six interceptions in 2024. Over six years so far, CJGJ has racked up a total of 18 career interceptions, 51 pass breakups, and 304 tackles.