Former Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to Philadelphia on 3-year deal

C.J. Gardner-Johnson's stay in Detroit was a short one.

Gardner-Johnson agreed to a three-year free agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, the Free Press has confirmed, leaving the Detroit Lions after one injury-filled season and returning to the team he played for in 2022.

Gardner-Johnson's deal reportedly has a max value of $33 million.

One of the Lions' top free agent additions last spring, Gardner-Johnson appeared in three regular season games last fall, made 17 tackles and had one interception. He opened the season as the starting safety opposite Kerby Joseph, but tore his pectoral muscle in a Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and missed most of the year.

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Gardner-Johnson returned in a backup role in Week 18, and stayed a part of the Lions' safety rotation with Joseph and Ifeatu Melfionwu in the postseason.

The Lions are counting on Joseph and Melifonwu to be their starting safeties in 2024, with Brian Branch at the slot cornerback spot, though Joseph could miss some of voluntary workouts this spring because of the hip injury he played through last year. Joseph and Melifonwu combined for six interceptions in 21 starts last season.

After playing for three teams the past three seasons — the New Orleans Saints in 2019-21 and the Eagles in 2022 — Gardner-Johnson said after his return from injury he planned to sign a long-term deal in free agency this spring.

He hoped to stay in New Orleans before the Saints traded him to the Eagles in 2022, and wanted to re-sign with Philadelphia last year but never found the security he was looking for in free agency.

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The Lions bolstered their secondary at the start of free agency, trading a third-round pick in April's draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for cornerback Carlton Davis and two sixth-round choices, and agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with cornerback Amik Robertson.

The Lions also finalized a new deal for right guard Graham Glasgow at the start of free agency and lost left guard Jonah Jackson to the Los Angeles Rams.

ESPN and NFL Network first reported the Gardner-Johnson deal.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.