The Houston Texans are looking to make a serious statement this upcoming NFL season — and building a championship-caliber roster is clearly at the heart of that plan. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory with Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, a key player has now joined C.J. Stroud’s squad and opened up about his thoughts on the move.
In a surprising move, C.J. Gardner-Johnson has officially landed with the team of his namesake, C.J. Stroud — a blockbuster addition that instantly ranks among the most significant reinforcements for DeMeco Ryans’ Texans.
Though the talented safety expressed satisfaction with this new chapter in his career, he admitted to the media that he’s still surprised by his departure from Nick Sirianni’s Eagles ahead of the upcoming NFL season.
“To be honest with you, I’m still shocked, but I’m happy,” Gardner-Johnson said Tuesday, via team transcript. “New, fresh start, meet new guys. I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed is this team is very young. So, being one of the oldest guys in the room, you’ve got to realize we’re here for business, here to have fun, but we’re also here to win football. So, being around those guys, I kind of got a feel for them first couple of days and how to go about things here.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson #8 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Gardner-Johnson embraces new challenge in Houston
While Gardner-Johnson admitted to being surprised when he first learned about the move to the Texans, his focus is now fully on what’s ahead — with one clear goal in mind: achieving big things with his new team.
“I think it was a great move for me,” he said. “I think it allowed me not to get too comfortable. People have to understand I was comfortable where I was at. It was easy. When I say easy, it was I had resources I could easily access, people I could just go talk to. I think moving here, being the older guy, I actually have to grow up. That’s a funny statement, but growing up and teaching guys it’s more than just football. Being traded multiple times, I think people would shadow it by the things I’ve done in the league. But in reality, I just love playing football.”
With G-J’s arrival, Houston is steadily shaping up as a legitimate contender in the AFC South. And with the upcoming Draft just around the corner, DeMeco Ryans’ squad may not be done adding key pieces to the puzzle.
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