Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Won't Be Returning to Eagles

One player Eagles GM Howie Roseman had reportedly really wanted back won’t be coming back.

Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, a deal confirmed to NFL Media by his agent, Kevin Conner.

As many expected, at this stage of free agency, it is a prove-it deal and reportedly worth $8 million, of which $6.5M is fully guaranteed at signing.

Gardner-Johnson said during Super Bowl LVII that he believed he was the best safety in the NFL and had hoped to be paid as such.

That long-term deal will have to wait another year, at least.

Still just 25, Gardner-Johnson will play for his third team now after only one season spent with the Eagles after three seasons spent with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the fourth round back in 2019.

It’s a deal that didn’t seem very rich and maybe one the Eagles could have afforded, even after handing out millions already in free agency, both to sign three newcomers in RB Rashaad Penny, CB Greedy Williams, and QB Marcus Mariota, in addition to bringing back Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Darius Slay, and James Bradberry.

The Eagles made a multiyear offer to CJGJ early in free agency, but he reportedly was looking for more. Roseman held his ground and moved on, signing Bradberry and extending Slay.

Whatever the reason the Eagles and Gardner-Johnson are parting ways, the fact is now Roseman has lost two starting safeties.

In addition to CJGJ, Marcus Epps also left in free agency, signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.

All that’s left now in the safety room has Reed Blankenship, K’Von Wallace, and Andre Chachere. Cornerback Josiah Scott was also cross-trained at the position last year and there are a couple of players signed to futures contracts in Marquise Blair and Tristin McCollum.

Clearly, there needs to be more.

Roseman will likely try to sign a safety in free agency, in order not to go into next month’s draft desperate to draft a safety.

Blankenship is likely a starter now, but pairing him with a rookie would make the Eagles awfully young, and perhaps vulnerable, on the back end.

The free-agent safety market, though, is plenty picked over at this point.

Jalen Mills was recently released by the New England Patriots and is a former Eagle who played mostly cornerback during his five seasons in Philadelphia, during which time he helped the team win its first Super Bowl title.

Kevin Byard could be an option. After refusing to take a pay cut from the Titans, he could be released. His price tag could be prohibitive, though.

There’s also a good chance the Eagles go deeper into the offseason, perhaps even after the draft, without addressing their safety need.

It’s what they did at cornerback last year until they landed James Bradberry on May 18.

It’s a high-wire act, but one Roseman has performed previously.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.