Ex-Saint C.J. Gardner-Johnson Calls Eagles ‘Pretenders’ After Win

C.J. Gardner-Johnson made his return to the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome for the first time since being traded by the New Orleans Saints two years ago. Facing off against his former team, he remained composed during the week but had plenty to say following the Philadelphia Eagles’ 15-12 victory.

After the game, some chatter ensued, particularly regarding Saints quarterback Derek Carr. “They ain’t no contenders, they’re pretenders. They got Derek Carr, remember that,” Gardner-Johnson stated, as reported by NFL Network.

Gardner-Johnson further emphasized his point when commenting on Carr’s performance. “We knew he [Carr] was gonna give us one all day. We got the best defensive line, best secondary, best front seven in the league right now. And I’m popping it. I’m popping it because at the end of the day y’all said we was down and out last week. Now look at ya now,” he said via PHLY.

He was not finished and took aim at the Saints’ accolades, particularly their claim to having the league’s top offense. “Top what?” he responded when pressed on the Saints’ offensive rankings.

“We keep receipts,” Gardner-Johnson declared. “I told y’all in the locker room. See y’all Sunday. I told y’all the day before. They got rid of me. I ain’t getting rid of them. It’s still in me. It’s still tatted on me.” His passion for the rivalry was evident as he continued to field questions about the Saints.

Reflecting on the Saints’ offensive strengths, Gardner-Johnson pointed out, “It (was) only Week 2. How can you be the best offense, best team, (in) only two weeks played? We still got 16 weeks to go? At the end of the day, we just gotta tune out the noise, understand who we were, and go out there and play good ball. That’s what happened.”

He also expressed his frustration regarding the hit that sidelined Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith due to a concussion, which was delivered by Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd. “Man, that’s the dirtiest shit I ever saw in football, bro,” Gardner-Johnson remarked to ESPN. “Y’all saw forward progress was stopped. If you are gonna take a cheap shot at one of our key players, it shows you what type of team that is. They’re front-runners. That ain’t got nowhere in football.”

Despite his fiery remarks about the Saints, Gardner-Johnson credited his team for the win and downplayed his individual contributions. “At the end of the day my team did this one,” he said. “It wasn’t me. Our team came together. A couple guys went down, a couple guys spoke up, and a couple guys understood the task at hand.”

Gardner-Johnson’s comments reflect the deep-seated rivalry and competitive spirit that define matchups between the Saints and the Eagles. His passionate return serves as a reminder of the intense emotions that come with such encounters in the NFL.