Following CJ Gardner-Johnson’s decision to sign with the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the talented safety and his agents have taken to social media to blast reports that he turned down a better offer to stay with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Yesterday, the Lions made a much-needed improvement to their defense when they signed rising star CJ Gardner-Johnson to a one-year deal worth $8 million. The deal was a great move for Detroit not just because they upgraded their secondary, but it came at a price lower than some expected Gardner-Johnson to get in NFL free agency.
Related: Lions pounce on 2022’s NFL interception leader in free agency
On Sunday night, Philadelphia Inquirer Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane reported that the Philadelphia Eagles made a multi-year offer to CJ Gardner-Johnson early in the free-agent period, but he reportedly turned it down in pursuit of more money. He also claimed that his agents overvalued his market value and he had to settle for a “prove-it deal” with the Lions.
After that report, CJ Gardner-Johnson took to his Twitter account to deny that news by simply posting the word “cap” with a baseball emoji. Cap is a slang term that means lying or faking. The former Eagles talent deleted the comment soon after posting it.
CJ Gardner-Johnson stats (2022): 67 tackles, 6 interceptions, 8 passes defended
However, on Monday morning, his representation at Universal Sports Management seemed to offer up a denial of the McLane report. Without giving a specific name, the agency’s Twitter account sent out a tweet saying, “Perception Vs Reality….1 Year Real vs 3 Year Fake….which sounds better to you? 1. One year deal = $8m. 2. 3 yr deal = $24m max with 17m+ in yr 3. Which one you taking?”
CJ Gardner-Johnson had a career year in 2022 as he posted his best tackle numbers (67 total, 61 solo), and led the NFC with six interceptions. It was his first season in Philadelphia after playing the first three years of his career with the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans took him with a fourth-round pick in 2019.