Even after leaving the Philadelphia Eagles to join the Detroit Lions, C.J. Gardner-Johnson isn’t quite ready to put the controversy of last season’s Super Bowl to rest.
The safety spoke out on July 3 in response to a report about the playing conditions during Super Bowl LVIII, where players complained about a poor playing surface and several struggled to keep their footing. Gardner-Johnson clapped back at a report claiming that the league blamed the issue on players not wearing the proper cleats, pointing a finger back at the NFL and suggesting that the Eagles may have had a better chance to win under better field conditions.
Lions Safety Refutes NFL Report
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham recently revisited the controversy over the Super Bowl playing surface, saying it was a blessing to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offensive line. That led Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio to report that the league privately blames the players for not properly preparing.
“The NFL has an unofficial excuse for the situation, one that has been communicated when owners ask about it,” Florio wrote. “Per a league source, the league blames the players for not wearing the right shoes.”
The report generated some controversy, with Florio appearing to cast doubt on the rationale from the league and noting that the Eagles actually changed cleats during the game but still struggled to find proper footing. Gardner-Johnson sounded off on Monday, pushing back on the idea that the players’ equipment was to blame.
“Man pre game I went through 3 different cleats!!” he tweeted. “Even the studs wasn’t working explain that please”
Gardner-Johnson added that he believes the outcome of the game could have been different had it been played in better conditions and the Eagles’ defense was able to get sustained pressure on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Run that bowl back on legit grass, the Dline SMASH that Oline I’m sorry,” he tweeted.
Big Expectations in Detroit
Gardner-Johnson was one of the biggest additions to a Lions defense that finished near the bottom of the league last season. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said it was a key offseason priority to revamp the defense, which included free-agency acquisitions like Gardner-Johnson and high draft picks like first-round linebacker Jack Campbell.
“I told you guys at end of (the) season, ‘We’re gonna add to our defense,’” Holmes said at the owners meetings in March, via The Athletic. “We just needed to get better there. We’re just very young at that position, so to add some guys with some more experience, add some guys with more versatility, we just want to get better there. We still got some young guys that are still growing, but obviously, that was an area of emphasis and will continue to be.”
As The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy noted, the overhaul includes a move for Gardner-Johnson back to his original position.
“And though Gardner-Johnson played safety for the Eagles a year ago, showing off his versatility by leading the league with six interceptions, he’s a corner at heart — specifically, a nickel corner,” Colton wrote, adding, “He’ll return to nickel in Detroit this season, rounding out a haul of defensive backs that fit what [defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn] wants to do stylistically.”
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Lions Safety Fires Shot at NFL After Controversial Report