The Philadelphia Eagles storybook season has taken an unpleasant turn. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a lacerated kidney in his team's Week 12 40-33 Sunday Night Football win over the Green Bay Packers that will keep him out for the foreseeable future.
#Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is out indefinitely after suffering a lacerated kidney in Sunday night’s win over the #Packers, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 29, 2022
It’s a non-surgical injury. Testing is ongoing, so timetable still TBD, but it is not expected to be season-ending.
Gardner-Johnson suffered the injury during a collision with Packers wide receiver Christian Watson. He appeared in serious pain as he was helped to the locker room. He was quickly declared out for the game.
Gardner-Johnson's absence could be one of the first major snags the Eagles have faced in what has been a charmed season. The safety is a crucial piece of an elite Eagles secondary that has allowed the fewest net yards per passing attempt in the league this season. Gardner-Johnson's league-leading six interceptions are also a big reason why his team leads the NFL in takeaways. The Eagles allowed a season-high 33 points in Sunday's game following his exit.
Gardner-Johnson joined the Eagles earlier this offseason via a trade with the New Orleans Saints that included a 2023 fifth-round pick and 2024 sixth-round pick. Gardner-Johnson has wildly over-delivered on that investment, but the real price for his services has yet to be established. He'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and will hope to earn a contract that places him among the NFL's elite safeties.
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