Free agent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and the Detroit Lions reached an agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $8 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday night.
Gardner-Johnson, 25, was acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles from the New Orleans Saints in late August along with the Saints' 2025 seventh-round draft pick for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick and the latter of their two sixth-round draft picks in 2024.
He was asked to make a position switch from cornerback to safety upon his arrival in Philadelphia and effectively did so. He finished the regular season tied for the most interceptions in the NFL (6) despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney.
He became the only Eagle since the 1970 merger to record interceptions in five consecutive games. Gardner-Johnson, who has the coverage traits and ball skills to fit in multiple defensive schemes, was part of a secondary that allowed the fewest passing yards on average during the regular season (180 yards per game).