A cart transported C.J. Gardner-Johnson off the practice field Thursday, and the Texans expressed a fear the trade acquisition suffered a serious injury. That said, conflicting reports are now out there regarding Gardner-Johnson’s 2025 status.
One report (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson) indicated the recently acquired safety suffered an ACL tear. Another (from Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz) pointed to the team fearing a tear. While Schultz indicated tests were ongoing, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport offers more encouraging news by indicating tests are showing Gardner-Johnson, in fact, did not suffer a tear.
While “team fears” reports can occasionally lead to sighs of relief — as the Cowboys’ Tyler Guyton situation recently showed — they regularly lead to full-season absences. The Texans would dodge a bullet should Gardner-Johnson have avoided this injury. Houston acquired Gardner-Johnson in a trade with Philadelphia in March, sending disappointing first-round guard Kenyon Green to the defending Super Bowl champions for a player who started in both the Eagles’ past two Super Bowl seasons.
The Texans threw in a fifth-round pick in a swap that brought back a sixth, but they were landing the more established (by far) player in this trade. Two seasons remain on the contract Gardner-Johnson signed with the Eagles last year, but a major injury would stand to reshape his Texans outlook.
More to come.