Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is flying back to Philadelphia.
Following a season with the Detroit Lions, Gardner-Johnson is returning to play for the Eagles on a three-year pact worth up to $33 million, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.
Gardner-Johnson fit splendidly with the Eagles during their Super Bowl run in the 2022 season, leading the NFL with six interceptions. However, he hit free agency and ventured to Detroit, where he helped the Lions to a historic run to the NFC Championship Game but missed the majority of the season due to a torn pectoral.
Presumably healthy and ready to go, CJGJ is "flying home," as he put it in a Tuesday tweet. With safety Sydney Brown coming back from a torn ACL, Gardner-Johnson could slide in to a starting safety spot, but his versatility has long been one of his best traits.
The 26-year-old began his career with three seasons for the New Orleans Saints before joining the Eagles for a year and then the aforementioned dalliance in Detroit.
Now, the No. 10 free agent on Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101 is returning to where he authored his best year. In 2023, the Eagles fell flat after a stellar start, losing five of their last six before bowing out in the wild-card round. With the retirements of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, Gardner-Johnson's contributions to the locker room could be as beneficial as anything. He infused energy, toughness and playmaking into Philly during a one-year stop and will now look to help the Eagles return to their NFC championship form.
