The NFL is officially back this week, as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. The Eagles are set to raise their second championship banner in front of their rival, but several players from that Super Bowl-winning roster are no longer around.
One big name that was traded from Philly was safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was dealt to the Houston Texans in exchange for Kenyon Green. While Green has been underwhelming with Philly, Gardner-Johnson has been dealing with an injury but is expected to play in Houston's opener.
#Texans on C.J. Gardner-Johnson 'We expect him to be ready for Week 1' @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 1, 2025
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Expected to Play in Week 1 for Texans
This is a step in the right direction for Gardner-Johnson, who had an injury scare earlier this summer. Back on Aug. 7, in a practice, he was carted off the field with a knee injury, which many believed was a torn ACL. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, but he did miss a couple of weeks with that knee injury.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke to the media on Monday and stated, "C.J. is doing really well, progressing fine. We expect him to be ready for Week 1."
That's a step in the right direction for a Texans secondary that has dealt with some injuries this summer. Nonetheless, Ryans still wasn't able to say with 100% certainty that Gardner-Johnson will be on the field, and if things go ire, Gardner-Johnson may be on the sideline this Sunday.
Back in 2023, Gardner-Johnson was limited to three games after tearing his pectoral muscle with the Lions. He seemed close to missing another season, but was able to dodge that bullet. During his time with Philadelphia, Gardner-Johnson was an enforcer in the secondary who could take the ball away.
Last season with the Eagles, he racked up 59 total tackles, 12 pass deflections, and was tied for third in the NFL with six interceptions. There were a couple of plays where Gardner-Johnson got beaten over the top, but still managed to finish with an 81.3 coverage grade (10th among 171 graded safeties) per PFF.
He looks to bring that caliber of play to the Texans, yet there's a good chance he isn't at 100%. It'll be interesting to see if the Florida product suits up on Sunday with his new team, as the Eagles will already be resting and getting prepared for Week 2.