"Just doesn't sit right": Darius Slay opens up about C.J. Gardner-Johnson's shocking exit from Texans

The Houston Texans released veteran safety CJ Gardner-Johnson in a surprising move on Tuesday. Gardner was acquired by the Texans in the offseason and is now without a team after just three games into the season.

Johnson was traded to the Texans in the offseason after his Super Bowl-winning campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. While the veteran secondary was expected to be a key Player for Houston, he recorded 15 tackles in a 0-3 start to the season.

Johnson's former Eagles teammate Darius Slay made his feelings known on his surprise exit from Houston on the "Sherman & Slay" podcast, talking to co-host Richard Sherman.

"When he got over there in Texas, they gave him some guaranteed money to make sure they kind of invested in him, like, 'Hey, right, we're going to make sure you good over here,' so that was a good sign," Slay said (Timestamp: 14:33 onwareds). I always want everybody to get their bread, but the fact that they let him go in three weeks, that just doesn't sit right.

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"There's got to be a lot going on, man, and I know him as a person. I know he's a true competitor, he's emotionally driven, he's got to take a lot, and the fact that, you know, he's coming from a team that was 3 and 0. He's 0 and three. So that's very wild."

NFL analyst reports "locker room issue" behind C.J. Gardner-Johnson's Texans exit

Following Johnson's exit from Houston, KPRC2's Aaron Wilson reported that the safety became a "a locker room issue." Wilson said that he took issue with the contract of a teammate and was not pleased with his role.

"Among the issues #Texans experienced behind the scenes with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, per sources." Wilson wrote on X. "He was critical of teammates in the secondary and didn't like his role. It was a locker room issue, and ultimately, this just wasn't a good fit for the team and for a talented player."

Johnson has been linked with a return to the Eagles after a surprise exit. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter said a reunion with Philadelphia is not "viable" right now.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

Houston Texans Fans! Check out the latest Houston Texans Schedule and dive into the Texans Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash