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Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been taking the art of rabble-rousing to new heights in recent weeks. His latest Twitter post put everyone on high alert when he posted a note of thanks to the City of Brotherly Love.
Fans were deciphering it as a farewell message after the Eagles decided not to slap the franchise tag on him. He’ll hit free agency and could command as much as $70 million over five years. The 25-year-old was a game-changer in 2022, a hybrid cornerback and safety who tied for the league lead in interceptions (6) in only 12 games.
Gardner-Johnson’s Twitter post celebrated some of his biggest plays, all backed by a soundtrack from Tom Odell’s “Another Love” which is a nuanced love song centering on a breakup. Odell described it as such (via Interview): “The song was written talking to this girl that I really wanted to be with, and I was trying to work out why I couldn’t be with her.”
Back to football. Gardner-Johnson’s tweet is chock full of highlight-reel plays, along with clips of important voices including Nick Sirianni, Cris Collinsworth, and Al Michaels. One interesting quote comes from Collinsworth when he says: “C.J. Gardner-Johnson is such an important part of this Eagles secondary.”
So, yes, this definitely feels like a way for Gardner-Johnson to say goodbye to Philly following an incredible Super Bowl run. There is still a chance the Eagles work out a long-term contract extension for him in free agency, but don’t bank on it. It appears as if both parties are ready to move on after only one season in midnight green.
Tweeted and Deleted: ‘Good Luck Wherever You Go’
Prior to Gardner-Johnson posting his farewell message, people were overanalyzing the free agent’s retweeting of a fan-made video that stated: “It was a fun ride. Good luck wherever you go.” He quickly deleted the retweet once people began sharing it and trying to interpret it.
Turns out, Gardner-Johnson was biding time as he set forth to produce his own goodbye note. He’s set to hit free agency on March 15 — well, legal tampering begins on March 13 – and his chances of returning to Philly are on life support. The Eagles might be down two starting safeties heading into the NFL draft on April 27.
Marcus Epps Receiving Interest in Free Agency
Marcus Epps — the Eagles’ starting safety oppposite C.J. Gardner-Johnson in 2022 — is receiving a lot of interest in free agency, according to Jordan Schultz. Teams are “enamored by his elite ability to play the run and quality coverage skills” after a breakout campaign where he finished with 94 tackles, 6 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble in 17 regular-season games. It marked his first year as a starter at the professional level.
Epps earned only $965,000 last season so he’s due a raise whether he stays or goes. If the Eagles let him walk in free agancy, then they’ll head into 2023 with a very thin and inexperienced secondary. Reed Blankenship and K’Von Wallace (5 combined starts) would be the next men up on the depth chart at safety. Or, they could be creative and move either Avonte Maddox or Josiah Scott over there.
Meanwhile, Darius Slay returns as one starting cornerback, but they’ll likely have to replace James Bradberry. No small chore. Options at corner include Josh Jobe and Zech McPhearson (1 combined start).
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