$7.1 Million Eagles Rookie Safety Called ‘Next Honey Badger’

Far be it from any of us mortals to question the decisions of Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, but when he traded away safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans on March 11 — and in the prime of his career — it raised some eyebrows.

As always, Roseman had a plan. It included drafting Gardner-Johnson’s replacement in the second round (No. 64 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft with University of Texas star Andrew Mukuba, a plug-and-play starter who ESPN’s Mike Clay predicts will be a stats machine as a rookie.

Clay projects Mukuba, 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, will finish in the Top 5 among NFL rookies in both tackles and interceptions in his preseason projections.

“In Philadelphia, second-rounder Mukuba has a real shot to replace C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was traded to the Texans,” Clay wrote on May 21.

Mukuba, who signed a 4-year, $7.1 million rookie contract, would likely have to beat out veterans Sydney Brown or Reed Blankenship to take one of the starting safety spots for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Eagles fan account @ThatHurts called Mukuba the “Next Honey Badger” on its official X account, comparing Mukuba to 4-time NFL All-Pro safety and Super bowl champion Tyrann Mathieu.

“For any Non Ball knowers who weren’t a fan of the Andrew Mukuba pick … All I’m going to say is don’t be a fan later,” That Hurts wrote on X on May 2. 

Mukuba Starred in ACC Before Move to SEC

Mukuba earned All-ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-ACC honors in 3 seasons at Clemson before being named All-SEC in his one season at Texas in 2024. He had career highs of 69 tackles, 5 interceptions and 7 pass deflections as the Longhorns advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the fist time. In 4 college football seasons, Mukuba made 43 starts in 50 career games.

At the NFL scouting combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein had Mukuba projected as a fourth round pick.

“Four-year starter who plays the game with the instincts and awareness of a player who has seen a lot of football,” Zierlein wrote. “… Mukuba possesses the character, physicality and playmaking instincts that will draw NFL teams to him as a future starter.”

What the Eagles Lost in Gardner-Johnson

Gardner-Johnson, 27 years old, led the NFL in interceptions in 2022 and had 2 years and $20 million left on the 3-year, $27 million contract he signed with the Eagles in 2024.

He was also playing some of the best football of his career in 2024 as he helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win, with 59 tackles, 12 pass deflections and 6 interceptions for 116 return yards during the regular season, including a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown.

So, why trade him? One drawback to having Gardner-Johnson on your roster is the headache/unpredictability factor.

One thing Gardner-Johnson has done from the moment his NFL career began was start to rack up fines from the NFL. Since 2019, Gardner-Johnson has been fined 13 times for “agitator” type incidents, including twice for fighting and once for unsportsmanlike conduct. In 2024 alone, Gardner-Johnson had 5 fines for taunting and one fine for a late hit.

Trading Gardner-Johnson also filled a need for the Eagles, who received former first round pick Kenyon Green in the trade, who should be able to step in and replace guard Mekhi Becton on the offensive line.