Houston Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had an injury scare in training camp, but coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that the team expects him to suit up for this weekend’s season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Gardner-Johnson was carted off the practice field on Aug. 7 with a lower leg injury that initially raised concerns about his knee, but imaging confirmed his ACL was intact.
The injury prompted a tense moment as the field fell silent and Gardner-Johnson’s teammates took a knee while he was evaluated. That he avoided a serious injury is a boon to a Houston defense that last year ranked just 27th against the pass and this year faces question marks with another safety, Jimmie Ward, being placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List following multiple offseason arrests.
“C.J. is doing really well, progressing fine,” Ryans said in his media availability. “We expect him to be ready for Week 1.”
Houston acquired Gardner-Johnson this offseason in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The standout safety left his former franchise in a reportedly tense breakup after he called himself a “test dummy” for former Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and suggested the team was “scared of a competitor.” He was just one year into the three-year, $27 million deal he signed with the Eagles last spring.
“It’s heartbreaking when you see a guy go down on the field like that and doesn’t get up quicker,” Ryans said immediately following the injury. “I’m always nervous as a head coach anytime I see anybody hit the ground. It’s tough to watch.”
Gardner-Johnson is now on his fourth team in seven years after stints with the Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions. The former fourth-round pick racked up 304 career tackles, 51 passes defended and 18 interceptions since his arrival in the NFL in 2018 and tied the league lead with six picks in 2022.
Last year brought another outstanding campaign from Gardner-Johnson, who won his first Super Bowl as a stalwart in the back end of the Eagles’ defense. He matched his career high with six interceptions and returned one of them for his first pick-six. That went along with a forced fumble, 59 tackles and a pair of tackles for loss.
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