ALLEN PARK — C.J. Gardner-Johnson is on the move once again.
For the third straight offseason, the defensive back is moving, with ESPN reporting the Philadelphia Eagles are trading him to the Houston Texans.
Gardner-Johnson, who played six games for the Detroit Lions when including the playoffs, has gone from Philadelphia to Detroit back to Philadelphia and now to Houston.
The Texans sent former first-round offensive lineman Kenyon Green to the Eagles for Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-round pick in 2026, as well as a fifth-round pick swap in this year’s draft. It’s unclear who is going to start on the offensive line, at any position, for the Texans next season. But Gardner-Johnson returned to his ball-hawking ways last year, and this is a cheap acquisition, no doubt.
Gardner-Johnson won a Super Bowl back with the Eagles this season. The 27-year-old started 16 games, matched his career-high with six interceptions and even returned one for a touchdown for the first time of his career.
The Eagles also parted ways with veteran cornerback Darius Slay, and have lost a ton of other defensive pieces to free agency this week.
Detroit’s safety situation also went through some changes. Former third-round pick Ifeatu Melifonwu landed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. Melfinowu was a versatile piece who was effective whenever on the field these last two seasons. But it’s been hard to count on him to make it to Sunday, with 31 games missed across his four seasons here.
