C.J. Gardner-Johnson is returning to the Eagles on a 3-year deal, and he offers Philly fans an apology

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is headed back to the Eagles.

One year removed from leaving the team as a free agent, the fiery defensive back on Tuesday agreed on terms to return on a three-year contract with a maximum value of $33 million, according to league sources.

NFL Network was first to report the news.

The 26-year-old spent last year with the Detroit Lions and suffered a pectoral injury that kept him out of most of the season, missing all but three regular-season and three postseason games. He logged six interceptions with the Eagles in 2022 after the team traded a package of late-round picks to the New Orleans Saints for him and moved the former nickel cornerback to safety.

In a social media post shortly after the signing, Gardner-Johnson said he’s “flying home.”

» READ MORE: ‘Can’t stand this heat, get out of my way’: Trash-talking C.J. Gardner-Johnson remade himself with the Eagles

The Eagles missed Gardner-Johnson’s presence on the back end last season, both as a playmaker and an agitator at times. They valued him enough last offseason to offer him a multiyear extension similar to the one he signed this time around, but he waited out the market before signing a one-year, “prove it” deal with the Lions a year ago. The former Florida standout, known for trash-talking and playing with an edge, returned in time for Detroit’s playoff run and had an interception in the Lions’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round of the postseason. In his three regular-season games (Weeks 1, 2, and 18), he finished with 17 tackles, one interception, and three pass breakups.

Having spent the first three years of his career as a nickel cornerback with the Saints, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2019, Gardner-Johnson has 45 career starts in five seasons, with 12 interceptions and 39 PBUs. The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder’s most productive season came with the Eagles, benefiting from the switch from slot corner to safety with several opportunistic plays on a defense that finished the year No. 1 in fewest passing yards allowed.

Losing several key contributors from the 2022 unit that helped the team reach Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles defense ranked 31st in the metric this season. The Eagles started the year with a prohibitively thin safety group that necessitated a midseason trade for veteran safety Kevin Byard, a move that didn’t curb the secondary’s problems. The defense finished the year 31st in third-down efficiency and 30th in red-zone conversions against.

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Gardner-Johnson’s signing will give the Eagles the type of versatility and playmaking required for new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system. He can line up near the line of scrimmage and match up against tight ends or bigger receivers while also capably handling the responsibilities of a post safety covering the deep portion of the field. Fangio often uses his safeties interchangeably to disguise coverages and sometimes deploys one as a conventional slot cornerback in base packages, all of which Gardner-Johnson is capable of doing.

It’s worth noting Gardner-Johnson has dealt with injuries in each of the last three seasons. After missing just one game in his first two years with the Saints, he missed five games in 2021 with a knee injury and five more with the Eagles in 2022 after suffering a rib injury and lacerated kidney against the Green Bay Packers.

Reed Blankenship, Gardner-Johnson’s running mate on the back end of the Eagles secondary, initially emerged while filling in for Gardner-Johnson after the veteran defensive back was injured against Green Bay. Blankenship came off the bench and intercepted then-Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for his first career pick.

Just as Gardner-Johnson’s return represents a reconciliation with the Eagles front office one year removed from negotiations going sour, the defensive back offered an apology to Eagles fans for comments he made last summer. On a Twitch stream in July, Gardner-Johnson said he “couldn’t stand” the people in the city, calling them “[bleeping] obnoxious.”

On Tuesday, Gardner-Johnson addressed those comments.

“I do owe the fans of Philly an apology,” he wrote. “Regardless, this is an amazing place and we had some memories together! Let’s go get us one.”

Jeff McLane contributed reporting.