Getty C.J. Gardner-Johnson celebrates during a Detroit Lions game.
The Detroit Lions could get a veteran defensive leader back sooner than expected.
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was placed on injured reserve following the team’s Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Even though he was expected to be out for the season, Gardner-Johnson dropped a hint that he could return to the team sooner.
Taking to Instagram on October 30, Gardner-Johnson shared a picture of himself in the Lions locker room along with the caption “ETA…..SOON.”
Ceedy Duce hinting at he’ll be back sooner than we expected?? 👀
While Gardner-Johnson did not offer more details, the safety has previously expressed optimism about his ability to return to the team this season.
Lions Hurting in Secondary
The Lions saw a pair of big offseason additions go down with injuries. Gardner-Johnson had signed with the team on a one-year deal, adding veteran depth to a secondary that was among the league’s worst in 2022. The Lions also signed cornerback Emmanuel Moseley only to watch him go down just two snaps into his season debut, tearing an ACL.
Gardner-Johnson made a return to the team facility earlier in the week, though head coach Dan Campbell shied away from giving a projection on his return to the field.
“It’s hard to say,” Campbell said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire. “I know this — it’s good having him back. You do forget about just what he brings, his energy, until you see him back out there.”
Campbell did give a short update on Gardner-Johnson’s rehab, saying he had a lot of “energy.”
“I know rehab is going well,” Campbell said. “He’s going good. It was good to see him.”
Campbell had praised Gardner-Johnson’s energy in the past, saying in June that it was rubbing off on his teammates.
“Look, he’s got contagious energy,” Campbell said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire. “As long as it’s not affecting your job and you stay focused on the job at hand — one of the reasons C.J. is that way is because that’s how he gets his engine going. In turn, that just spills out into the offense or your teammates. You can’t help — the level of intensity, it raises. I think that makes everybody around you better. And more competitive.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Grew Emotional Over Setback
Garder-Johnson has shared some updates with fans, taking to Instagram on September 22 to reveal that he shed some tears over the injury.
“This (stuff) makes me tear up, for real,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I don’t want to cry no more. I just want to get to it. You feel me? Look at this, I’m out there playing with one arm. They can’t stop me with this (stuff). When we (talking about) tapped out, I ain’t tapped out yet. I ain’t tap out yet, bro.”
Despite losing Gardner-Johnson, the Lions have managed to stay atop the NFC North at 5-2. They are heavily favored in the coming game, with Heavy Sports projections powered by Quarter4 giving them a 75% chance of winning against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Lions are favored by seven points, the projection noted.
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C.J. Gardner-Johnson Drops Hint About Return to Lions in Cryptic Post