"Not going to worry about that": Eagles' Reed Blankenship makes his feelings clear on replacing CJ Gardner-Johnson

On March 11, the Philadelphia Eagles completed a trade that sent star safety CJ Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick.

Although the Eagles did receive a good return in the trade, Gardner-Johnson was one of the leaders on the Eagles defensive unit last year and is one of the biggest personalities in the entire NFL. As a result, many fans and analysts have questioned how the Eagles would replace such an important player on the team.

Despite the fan concern, it is evident that Eagles safety Reed Blankenship is not too worried about how the Eagles will respond to losing Gardner-Johnson this offseason.

NFL analyst Zach Berman released a quote by Blankenship on X on Tuesday, one where the Eagles safety made clear that Philadelphia has the right guys in the locker room to continue succeeding despite Gardner-Johnson no longer being with the club.

Zach Berman

@ZBerm

Reed Blankenship on the Eagles replacing C.J. Gardner-Johnson's swagger: "We understand that. We have a swag to us now. We're not going to worry about that anymore. We have the guys in the room to continue that."

In 2024, Gardner-Johnson finished the campaign with 59 total tackles, 35 solo tackles, one forced fumble, and six interceptions for the Eagles. Meanwhile, Blankenship had 78 total tackles, 52 solo tackles, and four interceptions for Philly.

Will Philadelphia's defensive unit take a step back without Gardner-Johnson?

Although the loss of Gardner-Johnson is a big one, the Eagles still have arguably the best defensive unit in the entire National Football League. The Eagles used their first five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball, including selecting Texas Longhorns safety Andrew Mukuba in the second round as well.

In 2024, the Eagles only averaged 17.8 points against per game, a value that ranked No. 2 in the NFL. Although Gardner-Johnson will not be back, Philly still has Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, Zack Baun and Quinyon Mitchell, among others. As a result, with the addition of the new draft picks, there is a strong chance that the Eagles remain one of the best defenses next season in 2025.