Former Eagles safety, Lions star C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffers scary injury
By Kristen Wong
Former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson just suffered a brutal injury in Lions training camp.
UPDATE: Detroit believes C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s knee injury isn’t serious.
There is optimism that #Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson's knee injury is not serious, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 24, 2023
More tests to come after CJGJ went down in practice today, but as one source put it: “He’s fine.”
Detroit Lions star C.J. Gardner-Johnson was carted off during Monday’s practice due to a non-contact knee injury, which usually bodes the worst.
According to ESPN, the safety hurt himself during a team drill on Day 2 of Lions training camp and couldn’t put any pressure on his right leg; details of his injury haven’t yet been released.
Gardner-Johnson, a well-known trash-talker and instigator around the league, found a home in Detroit after an unceremonious exit in Philly. The versatile safety served as an efficient ballhawk for the Eagles, recording six interceptions in the league despite missing a chunk of the 2022 season.
Gardner-Johnson bet on himself this past offseason, lost, and joined the Lions on a cheap one-year, $8 million deal. 2023 was supposed to be his year of redemption; now it might be one of recovery.
Lions’ S C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a non-contact knee injury during Monday’s practice before being carted off. Brutal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2023
Former Eagles star C.J. Gardner-Johnson gets injured in training camp
The Lions took only a small risk on Gardner-Johnson by signing him to that one-year deal, but they’re no doubt hoping for the best.
Any kind of training camp injury can turn into a devastating blow to team morale, and the Lions need all the optimism they can get ahead of a pivotal 2023 season.
With a strong young offensive core and riding off the coattails of Jared Goff’s success last year, Detroit will be looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Aaron Rodgers has left Green Bay. The Vikings are having their own quarterback drama. The Bears are rebuilding.
Amid a chaotic NFC North, the Lions may be poised to achieve more success this season and will be praying Gardner-Johnson’s injury isn’t all that serious. This offseason, the Lions also signed free agent corners Emmanuel Moseley and Cam Sutton to boost the backfield, but Moseley is currently rehabbing an ACL injury.
Wishing Gardner-Johnson a swift and speedy recovery.
Next. Full NFL schedule 2023: Picks and predictions for every game. dark