C.J. Gardner-Johnson is holding his former team, the New Orleans Saints, accountable for his teammate DeVonta Smith’s concussion sustained during Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles prevailed 25-12 in the end after a fiercely contested contest that had the potential to go either way, despite the loss of one of their top players to an injury.
Following a collision with Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd in the fourth quarter, the 25-year-old wide receiver for the Eagles left the game. DaVonta Smith never came back to play following the hit, despite the referees not flagging the play. His teammates and head coach Nick Sirianni kept an eye on him while he lay on the ground for a few minutes until he was finally able to get back up and move to the sidelines.
In a post-game interview with the media, Gardner-Johnson blamed the Saints’ “dirty play.”
“Dude, that was the dirtiest football player I’ve ever seen. It was evident to all of you that forward motion had halted. The Eagles safety stated, “And for them to take a cheap shot on one of our key players, it shows what kind of team that is.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson played with the Saints from 2910 to 2021, therefore this was his first game against them. This may have made the game feel more personal for him.
Smith gained 79 yards and seven receptions from Jalen Hurts prior to leaving. Even though he was unable to score, Saquon Barkley took over and scored touchdowns of 65 and 4 yards in the fourth quarter to help the Eagles win their second game of the season.
Remarks from C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s Philadelphia Eagles teammates regarding the concussion sustained by DeVonta Smith
The Philadelphia Eagles’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t the only one to respond to DeVonta Smith’s Sunday concussion. More of their teammates shared their candid opinions about the incident on the internet.
Did I find it to be unclean? Yes.Did I believe it to be deliberate? No—oh, I’m not sure [expletive]. I must watch that. You can tell that I’m conflicted. “I hope Smitty is doing well,” Mailata remarked.
Center Cam Jurgens voiced his displeasure at witnessing Smith suffer such a severe injury.
It’s upsetting to witness something like Smitty getting harmed today, Jurgens remarked. I’m hoping all is well with everyone. Although there were many injuries, it is unfortunate when a player is struck in that manner.
The Eagles and C.J. Gardner-Johnson will take on the Buccaneers in a rematch of the 2023 wild-card game. The game is set to take place at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 29.
