The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to trade defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for guard Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-rounder, according to a league source.
Why they made the move
Gardner-Johnson has been a valued member of the Philly secondary over his pair of stints with the team, so this wasn’t about performance. Rather, the Eagles are dealing with the standard Super Bowl aftermath of paring payroll to keep the books intact when younger core players are ready to get paid.
Gardner-Johnson’s cap hits weren’t obstructive over the next two years — $4.9 million and $6 million, respectively — due to the void years on his contract, but he was set to earn about $20 million in cash over the next two seasons. In a vacuum, that’s an affordable rate for a tone-setting player, but the Eagles’ recent run of draft success is going to prove costly at the negotiating table when those players near the ends of their rookie contracts.
The Texans are the beneficiaries of Philly’s numbers crunch. Houston’s defense already played with an edge, and Gardner-Johnson will take that to another level. It’s paramount to have fearless, ball-hawking defenders when a young team like the Texans is trying to establish itself in a conference that includes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
Green, a first-round pick in 2022, turns 24 on Saturday, so he’s still young enough to think he can get his career on track. One of general manager Nick Caserio’s rare draft misses, Green has a golden opportunity to learn from and play alongside Philly’s incredible offensive line.
This quote from Eagles GM Howie Roseman from the NFL combine set the tone for the moves so far, particularly the CJ-GJ trade.
“Everything we do going forward is going to have to be taken from somewhere. So, it’s not going to be, you know, we like to talk about internally like…
— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) March 11, 2025
Texans trade: A-
Gardner-Johnson is unique. His energy and intensity are felt every day at practice, and the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Eagles were all noticeably better with him on the field. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans will match that energy and continue to get his group playing at a high level.
Again, though, what’s happening with the offensive line? The group was downright bad in 2024, and they just traded their best player from that unit: left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
We found rationale with the Tunsil trade. And quite honestly, if it wasn’t working with Green for three years, the Texans understandably didn’t have enough confidence that it’d work in his fourth season. A fresh start makes sense for both Green and the Texans.
But Houston still has a lot of work to do on the offensive line.
Eagles trade grade: Incomplete
It’s a cost-cutting move with negligible draft compensation. These things happen. The Eagles have taken some defensive hits this week, but they should be OK as long as the young core continues along their trajectory.
Green is the lottery ticket, if you will. Maybe it never works out, and the trade goes down as a forgettable nothingburger. Then it will be explained away as a salary dump by a front office that’s universally respected around the league.
But what if the Eagles’ outstanding offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland taps into Green’s first-round potential? Right guard Mekhi Becton is a free agent, so Green could be penciled in as the starter for now. If he transforms into a long-term starter, the Eagles will come out of this looking terrific.
More recent trade grades:
• Laremy Tunsil: Commanders stay aggressive, but why are Texans moving on?
• DK Metcalf: Steelers add game-changing talent; Seahawks’ overhaul continues
• Geno Smith: Raiders finally find stability at QB; Seahawks plot new course
• Christian Kirk: Texans get needed depth; Jaguars deal another WR in-division
(Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
