GUESS WHO, @CGJXXIII #PHIvsHOU | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/GLEDlvD15c
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 4, 2022
It’s a good time to be a former New Orleans Saints safety. CJ Gardner-Johnson took the lead for interceptions across the NFL on Thursday night, picking off his fifth pass of the season during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 29-17 rout of the Houston Texans. Gardner-Johnson is now in sole possession of the NFL interceptions lead and is playing a key role in Philly’s undefeated start to the season.
Gardner-Johnson, of course, was traded away for pennies on the dollar just before the season started. His old position coach and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen could not patch things up with him during a contract dispute in training camp, and things apparently got heated behind the scenes that Allen okayed the move to trade Gardner-Johnson and a seventh round 2025 draft pick to the Eagles in exchange for a 2023 fifth rounder and a sixth-round pick in 2024.
So now Gardner-Johnson is spearheading a Super Bowl contender’s defense while the Saints rank second-to-last in the NFL for interceptions (2) through their first eight games. Both of those passes were picked off by veteran free agent pickup Tyrann Mathieu, who trails a couple of his predecessors in New Orleans for the lead around the league.
One of the players Gardner-Johnson tied with going into Thursday night’s game was his old Saints teammate Vonn Bell, who has intercepted 4 passes this season (as has Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer and Seattle Seahawks rookie corner Tariq Woolen). Bell only intercepted a single pass in 66 games with New Orleans, including the playoffs; in eight games with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson has already tied his career total from 46 games with the Saints (counting postseason games, too).
They aren’t the only former Saints safeties enjoying a change of scenery. Marcus Williams went on injured reserve after his first five games, but the longtime starter in New Orleans picked off 3 interceptions before he was sidelined by a wrist injury. Gardner-Johnson, Bell, and Williams each have more interceptions this season than the Saints do as a team. Whether their current teams are putting them in a better position to make a play or they’re simply benefiting from greater experience, it’s hard to say, but they’re all finding more success in new cities than they did in black and gold.
Sure, there’s more to playing safety than intercepting passes — even the NFL’s best ballhawks only manage to come away with 10 or 11 interceptions out of the 600 passes thrown against their defense each season, and those performances are tough to duplicate. Missed tackles, miscommunications in coverage, and other gaffes play a part in gauging how well the position is being played.
But, man. It sure would be nice to see the Saints getting big plays out of players they chose to move on from. Mathieu and Marcus Maye have struggled to find their footing in New Orleans, and we’re at the midway point through their schedule. If whoever is starting at safety is going to miss a lot of tackles — whether it’s Mathieu, Maye, Williams, Gardner-Johnson, Bell, or someone else entirely — balancing out those negative plays with positive moments and takeaways would go a long way. Ah well. The Saints have to focus on working with who they have. Hopefully Gardner-Johnson continues to play well so he can sign the hefty contract he’s earned at the end of the season.
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