The Eagles are trading veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for former first-round offensive guard Kenyon Green, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
In addition to the players, the deal also involves a 2026 pick-swap, the source said.
Here are the terms of the trade:
Eagles get: Kenyon Green, 5th-round pick in 2026
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Texans get: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, 6th-round pick in 2026
The Eagles are trading the 27-year-old Gardner-Johnson just one year after bringing him back to the team on a three-year deal in free agency. Gardner-Johnson has played for the Eagles in two seasons (2022 and 2024) and they have gone to the Super Bowl twice. He has 12 interceptions in those two seasons and also brought a ton of swagger to the defense, although his personality at times could be grating.
Gardner-Johnson posted a goodbye message to Eagles fans on social media after news of the trade broke, saying "I love you Philly, we forever champions" He then posted a longer farewell:
This move won’t save the Eagles much cap room in 2025 (just $211,000 per OverTheCap) but will free some money after this season for the team to continue to keep its core together long-term with some big contracts coming for notable players like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. The Eagles have also been at the forefront of cash spending for a decade and not everyone can get paid.
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A big part of this trade is also giving former third-round pick Sydney Brown a chance to compete for a starting spot next to Reed Blankenship in the Eagles’ defense. Brown was a third-round pick out of Illinois in 2023 but hasn’t yet carved out a significant role on defense. He showed some promise as a rookie but tore his ACL in the regular season finale and missed the start of 2024 before being buried on the depth chart.
In addition to Brown, the Eagles also still have Tristin McCollum and Lewis Cine on the roster. There are also several months before the opener, so it’s possible the Eagles could add another safety.
And Blankenship, 26, is entering the final year of his contract. So an extension could be coming for the now-veteran starter.
Green, 23, was the No. 15 overall pick out of Texas A&M back in the 2022 draft but his NFL career hasn’t gone to plan. After starting 14 games as a rookie, with plenty of struggles, Green missed the entire 2023 season with a shoulder injury. He enters the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.
In 2024, Green was benched in October. He ended up playing in 12 games with 9 starts. Last season, ProFootballFocus ranked him as the No. 76 best guard in the NFL out of 77 qualified players. Green gave up 47 pressures and 4 sacks in 2022. He gave up 28 pressures and 5 sacks last season. He appears to be another reclamation project for highly regarded offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Green has played only left guard in the NFL and the Eagles have Pro Bowler Landon Dickerson at that spot. So perhaps we see him get some time at right guard, where there’s an opening. The Eagles’ 2024 starter, Mekhi Becton, is a free agent. The Eagles also have 2023 third-round pick Tyler Steen on the roster.
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