Philadelphia surprise: Eagles trade Gardner-Johnson, get Kenyon Green from Texans

Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles have traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans, according to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

In return, Rapoport and Garafolo report, the Eagles are to receive guard Kenyon Green and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. On top of Gardner-Johnson, the Texans also get a sixth-round 2026 selection from Philadelphia.

Gardner-Johnson changes teams yet again

Gardner-Johnson, who was a fourth-round Draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2019, is on the move for the third straight off season.

Having left the Saints for the Eagles in 2022, the Florida native then moved to the Detroit Lions the following summer, before returning to Philadelphia 12 months ago.

As is noted by the Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski, the Eagles’ decision to trade him for Green comes as something of a surprise, as the safety “helped bring some attitude and swagger back to the defense” during the Pennsylvanians’ Super Bowl LIX-winning campaign.

The 27-year-old started all but one of the Eagles’ 2024 games across the regular season and the playoffs, finishing third in the NFL for regular-season interceptions (six).

Green aiming to kick-start NFL career in Philadelphia

Meanwhile, Green was a first-round pick for the Texans in the 2022 Draft, but the 23-year-old has endured an underwhelming career in the NFL so far.

Having missed the entirety of the 2023 season through injury, he returned to make nine starts for Houston last year, but was not involved in the postseason as the Texans reached the Divisional round. In all, Green made 23 starts for Houston.

“He has fallen woefully short of expectations in his first three seasons,” Texans beat writer Chris Schad said in February, per NBC Sports.

However, the Inquirer’s Eagles reporter Jeff McLane points out that Philadelphia’s offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has a “strong track record” of turning around struggling players’ careers.

NFL.com’s Nick Shook adds: “Stoutland turned former first-round pick Mekhi Becton into a surprisingly effective guard, and it seems the venerated teacher of dancing bears sees potential to do the same with Green.”

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