New Lions DB Ready to Express ‘Football Personality’

New Lions defensive back has a close relationship with Aaron Glenn.

The Detroit Lions are quickly becoming among the biggest winners of the offseason.

Detroit general manager Brad Holmes has bolstered the depth in the secondary, most recently with the addition of safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. 

Heading into his fifth pro season, he will reunite with Aaron Glenn, who was his secondary coach with the Saints. 

According to Detroit’s newest addition, he and the team’s current defensive coordinator have a very close relationship.

“It’s a father-son relationship,” Gardner-Johnson told reporters at his introductory press conference. “When I mess up, even when I wasn’t playing and I messed up, I could text him, ‘You see it? You not see it?’ Because it’s like, you don’t want to let somebody down that’s trying to help you. The relationship with him, just want to get better every day.”

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Saints defensive back / © Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Though he’s in his fifth career season, he’ll be one of the most experienced players on the roster. Having his experience on the roster will be pivotal, especially since he’s coming off a Super Bowl run with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In his opening press conference, he spoke of the importance of trust within a defense and how he believes he can help the team.

“It’s all one,” Gardner-Johnson said. “A whole collective effort. I think, for this group here, understand that the veteran presence can be the older guys, guys who have been here five years… That veteran presence can help win games and rub off, not just for me, but other guys in the organization as well.”

The former Eagles defensive back will have a solid impact on the Lions’ defense, as he has the versatility to play inside or outside. He split reps last season in the box and at free safety and slot cornerback.

The veteran was also a turnover machine with the Eagles, picking off six passes in 12 games last season. The Lions will appreciate that level of defensive production, as the team emphasized takeaways on defense last season.

He knows this versatility makes him a key component of his new team. He played 443 snaps at free safety, 202 in the box and 208 at slot corner. He described himself simply when asked about his positional preferences.

“In Jalen Ramsey’s words, him,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m playing. I just feel like when you get the chance to do multiple things and you’re not just limited to one, you can just really express your football personality more than talk about what you’re gonna do. If I’ve got the chance to go play nickel, I’m dominating nickel. If I’ve got the chance to go play safety, I’m gonna dominate safety. No matter where you put me, it’s gonna go on, it’s gonna go down all game.”

Leaving Philadelphia

Gardner-Johnson is betting on himself as he joins his new team, as he’ll be on a one-year contract. Many believed he would command more stability on the free-agent market, but he accepted the chance to prove himself as a member of the Lions in 2023.

Reports surfaced Sunday evening that he was initially offered a contract from Philadelphia that he rejected. After some time passed, he elected to take the one-year deal with the Lions.

“We went to the Super Bowl,” Gardner-Johnson said. “Obviously, we didn’t win it, but I mean, the experience I had, I don’t have no bad blood. People overreacted to a tweet during free agency, but it was never disrespectful. It’s just like, that was best for my family. That’s all it is.”