Well that’s interesting. C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been a limited participant at New Orleans Saints training camp this week, but not because of an injury — NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that he’s taking a step back in hopes of spurring on talks with the team’s front office about an extension. Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan adds that Gardner-Johnson’s dissatisfaction began earlier in the offseason, explaining his absence during voluntary workouts over the summer.
Gardner-Johnson is one of several high-profile players entering the final year of their contracts, along with top defensive tackle David Onyemata, starting center Erik McCoy, and All-Pro return man Deonte Harty. He’s a prime candidate for an extension as a former mid-round pick who fought and clawed his way up the depth chart to earn snaps as the starting slot defender, becoming a fan-favorite player along the way.
But what sort of contract would make him happy? One of the simplest situations to compare to him across the NFL is Buffalo Bills nickel Taron Johnson, who signed a three-year, $24 million extension just before the 2021 season kicked off last September. We could see a similar outcome if Gardner-Johnson takes this quasi-hold-in down to the wire, though he’ll likely be pushing for more money. Maybe offering him a four-year deal would get it done as opposed to a shorter contract. That’s the sort of conversations that are hopefully happening behind the scenes.
Either way, we’ll be keeping an eye on things as the preseason heats up. The Saints have hammered out long-term extensions with other players at this time of the year before, inking star talents like Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, and Demario Davis at the eleventh hour. Maybe they can pull it off one more time.
