Old Chiefs Villain, Lions Newcomer Sparks Up Week 1 Smack Talk

C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Getty Detroit Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson (#23) hits Kansas City Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2023 Super Bowl.

From a Kansas City Chiefs perspective, former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson was probably one of the greatest villains of the 2023 Super Bowl.

The hard-hitting safety punished different Chiefs ball carriers with pulverizing tackles throughout last year’s championship game — one of which might have forced running back Isiah Pacheco to get surgery on his hand/wrist over the offseason. Not only that, but Gardner-Johnson also got into it with ex-KC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on social media after the Super Bowl’s conclusion.

Of course, Gardner-Johnson just happened to land with the Detroit Lions in free agency — the Chiefs Week 1 opponent on banner night — and apparently, he has not forgotten the sting of the recent loss. “It’s gonna hurt to see them come out, Super Bowl champs and I just faced them,” Gardner-Johnson admitted to Kay Adams on FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams Show” on May 12.

The Lions newcomer went on: “I think I’m going to have to channel my emotions, so I can go out and play a good game. The guys on the team won’t understand the magnitude of how I feel, because they weren’t there with me. But, I’m still gonna bring the same intensity. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder, I want to beat them. I kind of want to beat them. I want to spoil the homecoming.”

Despite wanting to win and play spoiler in Week 1, Gardner-Johnson did insist that it’s not a personal revenge game for him — although the rest of his response might say otherwise.


Recapping C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s Beef With JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chiefs After Super Bowl

In case you need a refresher, here was the back-and-forth between Gardner-Johnson and Smith-Schuster after the Super Bowl.

“School boys acting gangsta …..” Gardner-Johnson first replied on Twitter after Smith-Schuster took a public shot at Eagles cornerback James Bradberry.

Then, in a second viral tweet, the Eagles DB voiced: “JuJu ran from me when I check him in game 🥱🥱🥱 then 10 got his smoke 🤮.” Gardner-Johnson is referring to the hit on Pacheco here (No. 10), saying that Smith-Schuster missed a block — or avoided it altogether.

This piece of trash talk got Smith-Schuster’s attention, and he wrote back, “yea 🤣🤣 I went to the sideline to call him,” with a video of WR Javon Wims punching Gardner-Johnson during his New Orleans Saints days.

Smith-Schuster then responded a second time to the same tweet, adding: “Big [cap] 🧢, also I told you in the game to stop all that talkin because we were gonna come back and win that game. Now help me decide which finger I need to get sized for this ring 🤣🤣.”

Gardner-Johnson’s final reply at Smith-Schuster stated: “I got more INT’s then bra had TD’s….. maybe I need to change to WR 😅😂.”

Ironically, neither Gardner-Johnson nor Smith-Schuster re-signed with the Eagles or Chiefs in 2023 — and both were initially expected to. While that might cool down the Philly-KC rivalry, it ramps up the Week 1 storyline a bit in the case of Gardner-Johnson.

After all, it only takes one big hit for players to remember loud defensive back.


Ex-Eagles’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson Was Initially Fined by NFL for Super Bowl Hit vs Chiefs

Gardner-Johnson was initially fined $14,111 by the NFL for the bone-crunching hit on Pacheco during the 2023 Super Bowl — per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Later, the league decided to “rescind” this decision after an appeal.

Heavy on Eagles reporter Mike Greger provided a Philly perspective on the incident on February 17, writing: “Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was fined for what appeared to be a pretty clean hit on Isiah Pacheco in Super Bowl LVII. Sure, the hard-hitting defender drove his helmet into Pacheco’s chest but there was no malicious intent. It was an old-school football play.”

Gardner-Johnson commented on the fine at the time too, tweeting: “Tell me why I got fined from the hit in Super Bowl 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.” Surely, he was pleased to win the appeal in March.