NEW ORLEANS -- When the Philadelphia Eagles last played in the Super Bowl, capping the 2022 NFL season against the Kansas City Chiefs, C.J. Gardner-Johnson patrolled the back end of the defense with unmatched flair. The notoriously pesky safety could fly in for a crushing hit on one snap, swoop in for an interception on the next, and always make sure the offense knew about both.
Two years later, back on the same stage against the same Chiefs powerhouse in the first year of his second stint with the club, Gardner-Johnson is still flying around, still showcasing both range and physicality, but he might also be bringing even more chatter than before.
"Him and BG [Brandon Graham]," Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay told CBS Sports, "they could talk, literally, the whole 60 minutes. [Those] two guys are the most energized guys I've ever played with."
Graham, who's preparing to finish his 15th season with the Eagles, was more delicate in his description of Gardner-Johnson, acknowledging his fellow talker has no "turnoff" switch, while also suggesting the young safety has made real strides as a potential long-term fixture of the locker room.
"He's fun," Graham said. "Because he means well, and he really is about what he's talking about. What I love is, I get 100% of him every day. There's not a turnoff. … I think [that rubs off on the rest of the defense]. I really do. Because we're here right now, and I feel like everybody plays a role in this. And he's been the one that's been more vocal, the one in the moments where things are rough a little bit, he's the one bringing us up in those moments. And you just like to see guys take that leadership role, take it to the next level. Because I know, for me, this being my last year, it's like, you just want to pass the torch and make sure it's in good hands. And I think C.J. will be one of those guys."
Eagles legend Brandon Graham says he wants to “pass the torch” to vocal leaders like C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who plays and talks without a “turnoff” switch, as he finishes his last NFL season. #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/oMnKmEv5hK
— Cody Benjamin (@CodyJBenjamin) February 5, 2025
The best evidence: During the media sessions in the lead-up to Super Bowl LIX, Gardner-Johnson was hesitant to accept such lofty praise from stalwarts like Graham, despite admitting he's "grown up" since his first Eagles run, even to the point of shedding the green-dyed hair he sported during his initial 2022 campaign.
"I understand what it means to him," Gardner-Johnson said of following in Graham's footsteps as a leader, "and what it means to everybody in the locker room. But you gotta lead more by action than words. A lot of people kinda get confused by [me] saying a lot of things. But if you can't back it up by just doing simple things, like being there for your teammates, then why are you here?"
