in 2023 free agency, the Detroit Lions landed C.J. Gardner-Johnson on a cheap deal that seemed sure to inject play-making and some attitude into a secondary that needed both. That of course didn't come to full fruition, as "Ceedy Deuce" missed most of the regular season last year due to a torn pectoral.
Rooted in the idea he was not happy with the prospect of being in a three-man rotation at safety when he was able to return to action, Gardner-Johnson's departure in free agency (back to the Philadelphia Eagles) was not a surprise. He will probably be happier back with the Eagles, and he even tweeted "Flying home" on the heels of the news.
Gardner-Johnson's social media activity was a little bit of a thing during his one season with the Lions, in a positive light regarding his progress from his injury.
In a couple of since-deleted posts on Wednesday morning, Gardner-Johnson decided to go the other direction about Lions' fans and his former teammates.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson goes scorched Earth on Lions fans and now-former teammates
Gardner-Johnson took down both posts from Twitter, but he took a screen shot of the second one and added it to his Instagram story with extra an extra call out of his former Lions teammates (besides Jameson Williams) for their failure to ingratiate themselves with the city.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson had this to say about Detroit Lions fans 😳
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) April 3, 2024
📸 : @Devoted2DET pic.twitter.com/kvyQGoR04F
Former Detroit Lions safety posted this to his Instagram story, which is still up as of this post. He calls out his former Lions teammates for being "scared" to mingle within the Detroit city limits. pic.twitter.com/0l4EMoodF4
— Kory E. Woods (@KoryEWoods) April 3, 2024
👀 Ceedy Duce “Tired of these Detroit fans” pic.twitter.com/uR49We4s8k
— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) April 3, 2024
"Tired of these Detroit fans,” Gardner-Johnson posted on Instagram. “Let’s set the record straight. ONLY ME & @bigsgjamo (Jameson Williams’ Instagram handle) had the streets of Detroit behind us. All the other guys on the team was scared to go outside to kick it with the city.”
Gardner-Johnson hinted at how Lions' fans turned on him when he left ("Lions fans quick to turn....), perhaps similarly to how some fans apparently did with the also-departed Josh Reynolds. But the timing of Gardner-Johnson's social media rants, and why he cared to go public with his complaints about Lions fans and his former teammates at all, is odd.