Count Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson as one of the many in the Philadelphia camp unhappy about the injury DeVonta Smith suffered on Sunday afternoon.
Smith crumbled to the turf after absorbing a helmet-to-helmet shot from Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd in the fourth quarter of the Eagles' 15-12 victory over New Orleans. Philly's medical personnel briefly tended to his wounds. He was eventually ruled out with a concussion.
The collision, which saw Smith swarmed by a trio of Saints defenders before crashing into Boyd, drew consternation from some of those in green-and-white. Gardner-Johnson was among the loudest critics, firing off a tirade towards New Orleans and its roster of "pretenders," including the side's star hurler, Derek Carr.
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Here's what you need to know.
What did CJ Gardner-Johnson say?
In Gardner-Johnson's eyes, the Saints were out for blood when they set their sights on Smith. He called the tackle the "the dirtiest s— I ever saw in football."
"For them to take a cheap shot on one of our key players, it goes to show you what type of team that is," Gardner-Johnson said, "they're frontrunners."
“Man, that’s the dirtiest s—- I ever saw in football, bro.”
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) September 22, 2024
Former Saint C.J. Gardner-Johnson reacts to the hit that injured DeVonta Smith. pic.twitter.com/mXKfcYXDMH
Gardner-Johnson, who the Eagles acquired via a trade with New Orleans back in 2022, was unfettered following Philadelphia's win. With media pooled in the locker room after the contest, Gardner-Johnson proclaimed the Saints "ain't no contenders, they're pretenders. They have Derek Carr. Remember that," per NFL Network's Bridget Condon.
Carr, who has been among the best passers in the league this season, finished Sunday's affair with 142 yards on 14-of-25 passing, one touchdown and the game-sealing interception, snagged by Philly safety Reed Blankenship. In Gardner-Johnson's opinion, the pick was pre-destined.
"We knew (Carr) was going to give us one all day," Gardner-Johnson said.
At least part of Gardner-Johnson's diatribe appeared to stem from his departure.
"They got rid of me," he said of his former franchise. "I (didn't) get rid of them."
Even when presented with evidence of Klint Kubiak's unit's explosive nature, Gardner-Johnson was undaunted.
"Still got 16 weeks to go," he said.
Gardner-Johnson finished the contest with eight tackles (five solo) and a pass breakup.
"We keep receipts," he said.
