CJ Gardner-Johnson apologizes for Twitter rants against Eagles fans in first tweets after re-signing

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is returning to Philadelphia.

One year after an acrimonious split, the defensive back signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Their prior separation was a misstep by both sides: Gardner-Johnson overvalued his market, while the Eagles overvalued their ability to replace him.

The 26-year-old ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions but missed most of the 2023 season with a pectoral injury. The Eagles, meanwhile, missed the safety's presence in their secondary, both as a playmaker and an enforcer. Philadelphia's defense ranked 31st in passing yards allowed during the 2023 season.

After the sour negotiations, Gardner-Johnson took some verbal jabs at Eagles fans during a Twitch stream last July. When he was asked what his least favorite thing was about Philadelphia, Gardner-Johnson said, "the people." He added that he "couldn't stand" the people in Philadelphia and called them "obnoxious."

C.J. Gardner-Johnson apologizes to Eagles fans after signing to return

After his reconciliation with the Eagles organization, Gardner-Johnson is reaching out to the fans as well.

“I do owe the fans of Philly an apology, regardless this is an amazing place and we had some memories together!” Gardner-Johnson wrote on social media. “Let’s go get us one.”

Gardner-Johnson spent the first three years of his career as a nickel cornerback for the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In 2022, the Eagles acquired him in a trade and moved him to safety, where he found immediate success. In 2022, he logged 61 solo tackles and tied the league lead with six interceptions. The 2023 campaign was Gardner-Johnson's best season. His six interceptions were tied for most in the NFL, despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney.

Gardner-Johnson has proven to be one of the league's best agitators, both on and off the field. He has never shyed away from extra-curricular activity while guarding receivers, sometimes managing to frustrate them into unsportsmanlike conduct penalties or ejections.

It wasn't the first time that Gardner-Johnson had negative things to say about his prior team. When he first joined the Eagles, he was asked to explain the differences between his experiences in New Orleans and Philadelphia, and he took the opportunity to insult his former teammates.

"I get treated ... better than I was in New Orleans," Gardner-Johnson said in 2023. "You play better ball when you're around better guys, around better athletes."