C.J. Gardner-Johnson is the highest-paid member of the 2023 Detroit Lions to hit free agency with an expiring contract. The Lions paid the versatile defensive back $6.5 million for his one season in Detroit.
The Lions did not get their money’s worth with “Ceedy Duce.” He tore a pectoral muscle in Week 2 and did not play again until the regular-season finale against Minnesota. Gardner-Johnson finished the regular season with 16 tackles and one INT in three games, primarily playing at single-high safety but also with a healthy dose of box safety and slot corner mixed in.
In 2022 with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson led the NFL in interceptions with six picks in just 12 games. The 26-year-old offers up a fiery personality and is one of the NFL’s premier trash-talkers, and he’s often backed it up nicely — just not so much in Detroit.
If Gardner-Johnson wants to return to Detroit on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, would you want him back in a Lions uniform?
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