As the Philadelphia Eagles spent Sunday preparing for Monday's clash with the Green Bay Packers, former defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a showing to remember. The former Eagles DB — who was signed by the Chicago Bears on Oct. 29 — made his presence felt in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants, racking up seven solo tackles (two for a loss), 2.0 sacks, and adding a game-changing forced fumble to boot.
The Eagles have had secondary concerns throughout the 2025 season, and Gardner-Johnson's latest performance has fans wishing he were still in Philly. General manager Howie Roseman passed on a chance to sign the former Florida Gator following his release from the Houston Texans in October, but instead opted to acquire cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Michal Carter II before the trade deadline.
While there's plenty of time for Alexander and Carter to help the Eagles win another Super Bowl, it's easy to admit that a reunion with CJGJ would've put the secondary over the top. Hopefully, the veteran's resurgence isn't going unnoticed by GM Roseman.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Must Be On Eagles' Radar Moving Forward
It goes without saying that rookie safety Andrew Mukuba hasn't been meeting expectations. The 2025 second-rounder's performance has been up and down all season, even reaching the point where even defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been open about the first-year defender's struggles.
As Eagles fans know from his two Philly stints, Gardner-Johnson is a versatile force who can play all over the secondary, proven by his playing snaps as a safety, in the slot, and on the outside every single season. He also demonstrates a non-stop motor and consistent tenacity, proven by the two pressures and pair of sacks he's tallied in only two games with the Bears.
Roseman is one of the NFL's best GMs, but that doesn't mean all of his decisions work out. The Eagles acquired veteran blocker Kenyon Green from the Houston Texans when they traded Gardner-Johnson away, only to waive Green towards the end of September. Now that Gardner-Johnson has seemingly turned back the clock, Roseman's decision to move on looks even worse.
The silver lining here is that Gardner-Johnson will be a free agent at the end of the season, allowing the Eagles to reunite in March. Other contenders will be lining up to add the former NFL interceptions co-leader once the market opens, making it crucial for Roseman to make the best pitch possible if he wants to avoid Philadelphia's secondary being a concern next season.
The Bears are coming to the City of Brotherly Love in Week 13, meaning it won't be long before Roseman & Co. get an opportunity to watch CJGJ up close again. If his ascent continues and he has a strong performance during Thanksgiving week, the Eagles will have another reason to pursue a reunion this spring.