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Eagles Player's Tweet About Slippery Super Bowl Field Resurfaces After Win vs. Chiefs

Two years ago, C.J. Gardner-Johnson claimed the Eagles would have beaten the Chiefs on a non-slippery field.

Tim Capurso

Gardner-Johnson celebrates after a defensive stop against the Chiefs.
Gardner-Johnson celebrates after a defensive stop against the Chiefs. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Two years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, a result that was not without dispute from the losing side, as several members of the Eagles, most notably safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, complained about the slippery field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Gardner-Johnson, in a post onto his account on X (formerly Twitter) after the loss two years ago, claimed that the Eagles' pass rush, which had set a franchise record for the most sacks in a regular season that year, was neutralized by the slippery field, and that the result would be different on a non-slippery playing surface.

Well, after the Eagles' resounding, 40-22 win in the rematch against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Gardner-Johnson revisited the point he made on X.

The Eagles' defensive line dominated the game from start to finish in the rematch, bulldozing through the Chiefs offensive line without a single blitz call from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio while racking up six sacks and 16 pressures of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Philadelphia also forced three turnovers, one of which resulted in a defensive touchdown.

There were no complaints about a slippery field this time around, though it's worth noting that the Eagles' defensive line went through a youth movement in the two years since the loss to Kansas City, importing names such as Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jalen Carter, fellow interior lineman Milton Williams and outside linebacker Nolan Smith to several aging veterans that starred in Super Bowl LVII.

Whether it was the field or not, at least one part of Gardner-Johnson's tweet rings true. The Eagles defensive line got another crack at the Chiefs offensive line, and won the matchup this time around.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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