The New Orleans Saints have traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Philadelphia Eagles, ending the team’s three-year relationship with the former fourth-round selection. Gardner-Johnson clearly wanted to be treated like a full-time safety and will now have that opportunity in Philadelphia. Playing as a more conventional box safety will also allow him to get paid like one, which was one of the biggest points of tension between the two sides.
Ironically, the two teams will face off against each other in Week 17 on New Year’s Day 2023. The Saints are visiting the Eagles for the third time in as many years, due to a couple of quirks in the NFL’s scheduling formula (Philadelphia hasn’t made the trip to New Orleans since their playoff loss on Jan. 13, 2019).
