Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson may be out for the season due to a torn pectoral muscle, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Gardner-Johnson suffered the injury during the Lions’ overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday. While the extent of the injury has not yet been confirmed, it’s looking like Gardner-Johnson will be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
More testing and evaluation will be performed in the coming days.
This is a rather significant blow for Detroit’s secondary. The Lions signed Gardner-Johnson to a one-year, $8 million deal during the offseason, but it doesn’t look like the defensive back will get to make that much of an impact for the club in 2023.
Gardner-Johnson had logged 13 tackles and two passes defended through the first two weeks of the season.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Florida, was originally selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He played in every game during his rookie campaign and finished with 49 tackles, an interception and eight passes defended. The following year, Gardner-Johnson showed improvement, tallying 66 tackles, a sack, a pick and 13 passes defended. He concluded his three-year tenure in New Orleans by rattling off 46 stops, a pair of sacks, three interceptions and seven passes defended in 2021.
Gardner-Johnson then made a brief stop with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, totaling 67 tackles, a sack and a league-leading six picks in helping the Eagles make a run to the Super Bowl.
The Lions have gotten off to a 1-1 start this season and are aiming to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. They will play host to the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.