C.J. Gardner-Johnson rips Saints after DeVonta Smith 'cheap shot'

Ben Brigandi

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson rips Saints after DeVonta Smith 'cheap shot' image

DeVonta Smith’s helmet-to-helmet hit from Khristian Boyd Sunday in Philadelphia’s 15-12 win at New Orleans has yet to draw NFL punishment. It’s also unclear how the injury affects Smith’s short-term future.

But what is clear is the criticism from Eagles players and their fans after the hit caused Smith to leave with a concussion.

C.J. Gardner Johnson, already motivated because of playing his old team in the Saints, called the Saints a bunch of “front-runners.”

“That’s the dirtiest (stuff) I ever saw in football, bro,” said Johnson according to CBS Sports Y’all obviously saw that forward progression was stopped. And for them to take a cheap shot on one our key guys, it shows what kind of team that is. They’re front-runners.”

Making matters worse, some appeared to see spit after the hit. 

Jordan Mailata spoke with more nuance, wondering what more he could have done .

“Do I think it was dirty? Yeah, but do I think it was intentional….,” said Mailata, who later hit Boyd. “I was just trying to make a play.”

Smith was seen walking away from the field after the play. 

It was the latest in a string of September injury news, as the team played without another starting receiver, A.J. Brown, and then lost linemen Lane Johnson and Mekhi Becton during the game. Johnson, seen puking on the field, suffered a concussion as well and Becton had a finger injury.

Fans have also wondered why the Boyd play wasn’t a penalty, but this one was. 

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Ben Brigandi

Ben Brigandi Photo

Ben Brigandi is a lifelong professional in sports media, as a writer and editor. Career highlights include covering future pros in high school and even younger, from kicker Robbie Gould in high school to Jurickson Profar, Cody Bellinger, and others at the Little League World Series held in his neighborhood. Born and raised in central Pennsylvania, Ben graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism and covered Nittany Lion games for nearly two decades after attending games as a kid growing up in Happy Valley. He’s seen the Eagles go from hated rivals to his boyhood favorite Washington Commanders to accepting their success as Dan Snyder ruined his fandom. One day, Ben dreams of again playing golf to a legit single-digit handicap, without either putting in the work or sinking pesky 3-foot putts.