Texans releasing Super Bowl champ C.J. Gardner-Johnson

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is out of a job. 

The Texans released the star safety on Tuesday after just three games in Houston, according to multiple reports.

Gardner-Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with the Eagles in March, recorded 15 total tackles in his three starts with the Texans. 

Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson reported that the team made the move “after friction behind the scenes with [Gardner-Johnson] complaining about his role, wanting to blitz more … and even communicating that he wanted to be traded.”

The franchise apparently didn’t think Gardner-Johnson’s troubles were worth hanging onto after safety Jimmie Ward was removed from the commissioner’s exempt list on Monday. 

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Gardner-Johnson, 27, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, matching a career-high with six interceptions across 16 games for the Super Bowl champion Eagles in 2024. 

The former fourth-round pick, who had signed a three-year, $27 million deal with Philadelphia in March 2024 — ripped Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in June after the trade, writing “Just don’t do them young guys like y’all did me” on Instagram. 

“I was a test dummy for them,” Gardner-Johnson wrote on his Instagram Story. “So now they can be like my ‘scheme’ work, or did my skill set make it work.”

The outspoken Gardner-Johnson had just gotten into a public back-and-forth with Baker Mayfield after the star Buccaneers quarterback told reporters, “We don’t take any s–t,” following an on-field spat with the safety. 

Gardner-Johnson clapped back on social media. 

“Boy this cute but still ringless,” Gardner-Johnson wrote in a comment on an Instagram post from Mayfield that featured the quarterback getting in his face.

The Texans are looking for answers after an 0-3 start to the season following postseason trips in each of the past two seasons.