Why did C.J. Gardner-Johnson chose Lions over Eagles?

C.J. Gardner-Johnson Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Why did C.J. Gardner-Johnson choose Lions over Eagles?

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Mar 20, 2023 8:04 AM ET

On Sunday night, the Detroit Lions made a huge free agent splash, agreeing to a one-year deal with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Adding Gardner-Johnson to its secondary is a massive move for the Lions, but also a surprise, considering that the Eagles seemed prime to make a major push to keep the talented defensive back.

According to Jeff McLane of the 'Philadephia Inquirer,' several factors led to Gardner-Johnson's exit from Philly.

Skinny on why C.J. Gardner-Johnson is no longer in Philly:

- #Eagles made multi-year offer early in FA.
- He was looking for more.
- They moved on, signed Bradberry, extended Slay.
- He/agent overvalued not realizing market/league viewed him as risk.
- Settled for prove-it deal.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) March 20, 2023

Despite making him a multi-year offer early in free agency, Gardner-Johnson reportedly sought a more lucrative deal from the Eagles. With other spots to shore up, Philly moved on, re-signing James Bradberry and extending veteran Darius Slay.

It seems that Gardner-Johnson and his agent potentially overvalued his market in free agency, ultimately settling on a one-year contract with the Lions as he tries to build his case for a larger deal next spring.

Garnder-Johnson's contract with Detroit is for $8 million with $6.5 guaranteed, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The Eagles initially acquired the 25-year-old defensive back in a trade with the New Orleans Saints in exchange for two draft picks back in April. In his only season in Philly, Gardner-Johnson was impactful, leading the NFL in interceptions (6) while recording 67 tackles and a sack in 12 games.

Gardner-Johnson missed five games after suffering a gruesome lacerated kidney against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. He returned in Week 17 against the New York Giants and played in all three of the team's postseason games, including Super Bowl LVII.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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