The Philadelphia Eagles’ 15-12 victory Sunday over the New Orleans Saints was merely the beginning of the C.J. Gardner-Johnson show.
The former Saints defensive back did not withhold much while meeting with the media after the game. From outside of the visitor’s locker room, Gardner-Johnson could be heard yelling ‘they ain’t no contenders, they’re pretenders. They have Derek Carr. Remember that,’ per NFL Network.
The Saints quarterback was 14-of-25 with 142 passing yards, one touchdown and a game-ending interception to Eagles safety Reed Blankenship as New Orleans attempted a game-tying drive.
Said Gardner-Johnson when asked about the turnover: ‘We knew (Carr) was going to give us one all day.’
The Saints traded Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles during the 2022 preseason after he spent three seasons with the team that drafted him in the fourth round. In Philadelphia, his six interceptions was tied for the league lead. He signed with the Detroit Lions for the 2023 campaign but an injury cost him much of the season, though he did return for the team’s run to the NFC Championship Game.
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‘They got rid of me,’ he said of the Saints. ‘I (didn’t) get rid of them.’
Gardner-Johnson refused to acknowledge that Saints entered as the top statistical offense despite the small sample size of two games.
‘Still got 16 weeks to go,’ said Gardner-Johnson, who had eight tackles (five solo) and a pass breakup.
The Eagles’ secondary had plenty to prove after allowing Kirk Cousins to drive the Atlanta Falcons down the field for a game-winning touchdown in the final minute on Monday.
‘We keep receipts,’ said Gardner-Johnson.
Gardner-Johnson was also heated about how the Saints comported themselves on the field. Reacting to the hit that knocked out Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith early in the fourth quarter, Gardner-Johnson said ‘that’s the dirtiest (expletive) I ever saw in football.’
‘For them to take a cheap shot on one of our key players, it goes to show you what type of team that is,’ he added, ‘they’re frontrunners.’