Ravens' C.J. Gardner-Johnson Reveals Blunt Reason For Signing

It was quite the moment for the Baltimore Ravens as they made a statement with their signing of C.J. Gardner-Johnson to help boost their secondary.

The Ravens signed Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad after being a free agent for the last few weeks. He started the season with the Houston Texans, thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles trading Gardner-Johnson to Houston in the offseason.

In three games with the Texans, Gardner-Johnson racked up 15 tackles and one quarterback hit. After reported disagreements with the organization, Houston decided to let him go.

Gardner-Johnson was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons with the team before joining the Eagles in 2022 and was on the team that made the Super Bowl.

After jumping ship to the Detroit Lions in 2023, he rejoined the Eagles last year to win his first Super Bowl. He has totaled 319 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, 18 interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown in 77 games.

Houston Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Now entering the next chapter of his career, Gardner-Johnson is looking forward to a fresh start and an opportunity to play. It wasn't like he had many options to choose from at the start.

Gardner-Johnson told The Baltimore Sun's Sam Jane that the reason he picked the Ravens was simply because they were his "only option." Jane added in his social media post that Gardner-Johnson was "active" with his teammates and seemed to be making a good first impression on the team.

There's a lot that Gardner-Johnson brings to the table as he is a ball hawk who can create turnovers in more ways than one. Last year with the Eagles, he showed off his physicality at the safety position, but had a tendency to have trouble controlling his emotions on the field.

Baltimore has made it known that they are focused on rebuilding the secondary and getting some help with it. The Ravens added safety Alohi Gilman as part of the Chargers trade that involved edge rusher Odafe Oweh.

Injuries have plagued the secondary, with Jaire Alexander recently returning from his knee injury against the Texans in Week 5. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring), safety Kyle Hamilton (groin), and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) have been a part of the injury report for Week 6.

Ravens fans will be fascinated to see what contributions Gardner-Johnson can bring to one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

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