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C.J. Gardner-Johnson apparently went through a bit of a messy process in his contract negotiations with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2023 NFL offseason. He was seeking a long-term extension with the team after his contract expired at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season. The negotiations recently went public when his agency shared a tweet calling out the Eagles' 'fake' offer.
The Eagles allegedly offered C.J. Gardner-Johnson a three-year deal worth $24 million. He instead signed with the Detroit Lions on a one-year contract worth $8 million. While this may seem like a strange decision at first glance, his agents claim that the Eagles' offer was extremely misleading. They apparently back-loaded the offer with more than $17 million in the final year of the deal.
What his agency is claiming is that Gardner-Johnson would make just about $7 million total across the first two years of the deal. This puts him at high-risk of being cut after his second season, voiding out the final $17 million. If this is in fact true, he will make more money next year with the Lions than he would have in the next two years with the Eagles.
This isn't the first time that negotiations between Gardner-Johnson and the Eagles have been brought to public attention. The defensive back claimed he was being disrespected by the organization in a since deleted tweet.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson was likely expecting to sign a contract extension that would place him among the highest-paid players in his position. He will instead need to settle for a one-year prove-it style deal, despite already doing so during the 2022 NFL season.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson was an underrated assett in 2022 with Eagles
C.J. Gardner-Johnson has a strong case for why he deserves a much more valuable contract than the one the Eagles offered him. He was a pivotal piece to their elite defense that played a major role in helping them make a Super Bowl appearance. C.J.'s specific situation last year made his contributions even more impressive.
He spent the first three seasons (2019-2021) of his career with the New Orleans Saints, where he primarily played as a slot cornerback. He switched positions in his first year (2022) with the Eagles, moving to safety.
Gardner-Johnson responded in a big way, tying or a league-leading six interceptions, despite appearing in only 12 games. He overcame a ton of adversity and still performed as one of the best safeties in the NFL.
