C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2 , altering his chance to impress this season and command a more lucrative deal for the 2024 season. Months later, the Lions safety has a chance to come back.
Rumored to not be shutting down his effort to play again this season
, the fifth-year DB is indeed moving close to a return. Gardner-Johnson received medical clearance Thursday, and Dan Campbell said the free agent pickup will be ready to return “pretty soon.”
The Lions have not yet designated Gardner-Johnson for return from IR. He would have three weeks to be activated once his practice window opens. Based on Campbell’s comments, it sounds likely the Lions will have Gardner-Johnson back in uniform before the regular season concludes. The team is in fairly good shape for injury activations, holding five IR-return moves . Alim McNeill joins Gardner-Johnson in being expected back late this season .
The team has lost two of its top five secondary cogs this season; cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered a second ACL tear in two years not long after Gardner-Johnson went down. The Lions added four key pieces to their secondary this offseason (CJGJ, Moseley, Cameron Sutton , Brian Branch ) but have been without two of them for months. Tracy Walker , who suffered an Achilles tear early last season , has returned to a regular role in Gardner-Johnson’s absence.
While Moseley will be hitting free agency on the heels of another injury-marred season, Gardner-Johnson looks set to have a chance at reestablishing his momentum. Rumored to be a player the Eagles wanted back, Gardner-Johnson saw his market not produce what he expected. He signed a one-year, $6.5MM Lions deal . Although Gardner-Johnson played in the slot under former Saints DBs coach Aaron Glenn, the third-year Lions DC kept him at safety, where the Eagles stationed him last season. Gardner-Johnson’s six INTs tied for the NFL lead last year.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old cover man’s chances of scoring a better contract may have taken a hit because of his injury, but making key contributions and showing no hiccups upon returning from this early-season setback would help his cause ahead of free agency. The Lions have exclusive negotiating rights with Gardner-Johnson until next year’s legal tampering period.