C.J. Gardner-Johnson Apologizes to Eagles for 'Won't See a Ring' Comments After Trade

C.J. Gardner-Johnson said he "retracts" the comments he made about the Philadelphia Eagles after he was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason, when he said the team "probably won't see a ring without me." 

"It's a disrespect to Jalen Carter, A.J. Brown—I can name all those guys on that team—Lane Johnson," Gardner-Johnson told Ryan Clark on the Pivot podcast (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). "Because Lane is my big vet and Lane would tell me, 'Hey, [C.J.], I got your back, but when you do too much, I don't got your back. And that's one of those moments that's too much.' Because it's taken away from his career. He done it. He done it before me. Apologizing to the guys in Philly, I got nothing against them. And if they win six more rings without me, they deserve it, because that's the type of players they are."

Gardner-Johnson did hit back at the notion that his trade was a cost-cutting move for the Eagles, however, suggesting instead that the team was "scared of a competitor."

Johnson cited two examples of being blamed for situations that went awry, an ejection against the Washington Commanders and a practice fight during the playoffs, as evidence of that notion.

"We had a little scrum at practice," he said. "Nothing, just offense versus defense, but who's the culprit of it? Me. I guess, because we're competing. Well, you tell me the period is live. You're telling us not to compete during a live period, but it's a live period, and we're getting ready for a playoff game?"

The Eagles made a number of cost-cutting moves this offseason, however, which included seeing key contributors like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Mekhi Becton depart in free agency, alongside Gardner-Johnson's trade. It would be a surprise if the same team that signed him an offseason prior, and already knew him from his first stint, traded him over a personality clash, but that's Gardner-Johnson's take on the matter.