Eagles' CJ Gardner-Johnson Trolls Carr, Saints: They're 'Pretenders,' Not Contenders

Philadelphia Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson reportedly had some words for the New Orleans Saints in the locker room after his team's 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints.

"They ain't no contenders they're pretenders," he reportedly was yelling in the locker room, per Bridget Condon of NFL Network. "They have Derek Carr remember that."

Gardner-Johnson, who started his career with the Saints, clearly had a chip on his shoulder heading into the contest:

Gardner-Johnson also called the Saints "frontrunners" and said the hit that injured wide receiver DeVonta Smith—and a block out of bounds on Philly corner Darius Slay Jr. by New Orleans offensive lineman Trevor Penning—was dirty:

The Smith play reportedly divided opinion in Philly's locker room after the game, but the Penning block most certainly did not:

As for Gardner-Johnson, he finished Sunday's contest with eight tackles, though he was beaten by Chris Olave for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that gave the Saints a 12-7 lead. The Eagles would drive down the field for what was ultimately the game-winning touchdown the next time they had the ball, however.

The veteran safety now has 19 tackles and a pass deflected in three games, helping to solidify a secondary that was an absolute disaster last season. The Eagles brought him back in free agency following a one-year hiatus while he was on the Detroit Lions, and while Gardner-Johnson has been beaten for touchdowns in coverage this season, he's also come up with a number of big tackles and has certainly returned some swagger to Philly's defense.

He also probably hasn't made many friends in New Orleans.

As for the Eagles, the team moved to 2-1 on the season after Sunday's tight win. It was an important response after last week's stunning, last-minute loss to the Atlanta Falcons, especially with a tough upcoming matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the team has its Week 5 bye.