Veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was holding court inside the Eagles’ locker room this week when he was asked about the difference between Philadelphia’s No. 1 ranked defense this season and the 2022 Eagles group which was also pretty good, finishing No. 2 in the NFL and coming up just short of Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII.
At the same time, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio popped his head into the locker room, which is not a common occurrence.
“That man walking in,” Gardner-Johnson said.
As reporters turned to look, the query was “Vic?”
“Yup. The attitude’s changed,” Gardner-Johnson said.
Reports out of Miami last season intimated that some Dolphins players had trouble accepting Fangio’s no-nonsense coaching style.
A younger Eagles defense has bought into Fangio’s ability to get them better whether it’s rookie stars Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean or emerging young standouts like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Zack Baun.
“You hear everybody talk all their crap about Vic and the defense he’s been in. It’s obviously panning out pretty well for us, with a bunch of young guys that actually take criticism and coaching,” Gardner-Johnson said. “See how it looks? You know how everyone talks about Vic in the past. So shout out to Vic, shout out to Coach Nick [Sirianni] for bringing him in.”
If the average fan was taking bets on who may have clashed with Fangio, CJGJ may have topped the list.
Known for his bombastic style and trash-talking, Gardner-Johnson pushed back on those kinds of sentiments.
“I think the way I play is overshadowed because I talk a lot of crap,” he said. “Respectfully, I think the way I help lead this team is overlooked because I talk a lot of crap or I get personal fouls. But in reality, you guys watch the games.
“This year, I had to learn that being back and playing a full, healthy year is a blessing to me. I think you guys missed that. I missed a whole year. So in order to come back and play football, that’s what helped me show who I am – toughness, gritty. That other stuff? That s@#$ don’t matter. It’s football ... Everybody looks at me in a crazy way and a different light, but I love football.”
