Could a Former Texans Safety Possibly Have a Reunion with the New Orleans Saints?
After their third consecutive loss of the official season, the New Orleans Saints are causing their fans to become concerned about the remainder of their season. Although one of their own future Hall of Fame quarterbacks sounded optimistic about their chances of winning their division, the current standings have them in last place behind the tied 1-2 Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lead. With almost a month into the season, some serious changes need to be made to the defense to prevent another repeat of a 31-point deficit in their most recent loss in an away game against the Seahawks. The Saints will be playing another road game this Sunday in Buffalo, which will allow head coach Kellen Moore and his staff to determine where the improvements need to be made. Instead of focusing on scoring points, perhaps the better solution would be to recruit additional defensive players, such as safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was released this week by the 0-3 Houston Texans.
C.J., also known as “Ceedy Duce” or “2X,” began his professional football career when he was drafted in 2019 in the fourth round with the 105th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints. In his three years as a Saint, he started in 31 of the 43 games as a defensive back in the first two seasons and a rush linebacker in the third. “Ceedy Duce’s” stats in New Orleans would yield 161 combined tackles, three sacks, and five intercepted passes. On the verge of the 2022 season, he would be traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he would play and start in 12 games as a free safety. That season would result in 67 combined tackles, one sack, and six intercepted passes. Following the end of their NFC Championship win, Gardner-Johnson would be signed by the Detroit Lions as a defensive back. An injury limited his season to starting in two of the three games, during which he would only be able to make 17 combined tackles and one interception. At the end of the 2023 season, C.J. would be re-signed to the Philadelphia Eagles as a strong safety. His numbers improved with 59 combined tackles, six interceptions, and his first career touchdown in the 16 games he played and started. Following the end of their Super Bowl-winning season, Gardner-Johnson would be traded to the Houston Texans, where, less than five months later, during practice, he would suffer a leg injury. Before being released by the Texans at the beginning of Week Four, he would start and play all three of their games as a safety, acquiring 15 combined tackles.
If he is signed, C.J. will be playing with teammates NFL veteran Justin Reid and rookie Jonas Sanker as the team’s primary safeties. Reid, a 28-year-old who was signed to the team this April, is proving his value on defense with 15 combined tackles, and of those, 12 of them are solo. Experienced players will be necessary going forward, especially if this team hopes to catch up and perhaps overtake their competition within their division. Hopefully, Moore and his defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley, have been watching the roster changes this week and are looking to improve their defense before their next home game on October 5th. If they wait too long to add the 28-year-old, they may miss out on the opportunity for their first home win of the season.
