START CONVERSATION
One of the toughest decisions the Detroit Lions will face ahead of free agency is deciding what to do with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Gardner-Johnson, also known as Ceedy Duce, signed a one-year deal with the Lions last offseason, and promptly had his season cut short. He suffered a torn pec in Week 2, and wouldn’t return until the regular season finale.
With free agency looming, the organization must quickly come to a decision on his contract or risk losing him in free agency. Given his status and proven talent, the Lions could have to compete with multiple organizations to retain him.
Here are five teams who could pursue Ceedy Duce should he hit free agency, which begins Wednesday.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are believed to have at least some kind of interest in retaining the services of the veteran defensive back.
As stated above, Gardner-Johnson didn’t make much of an on-field impact this past season. Yet, he was still considered one of the team’s biggest leaders inside the locker room. While it’s hard to quantify how much of an impact his swagger had on the rest of the team, he still quite noticeably boosted the confidence level of the club’s young defensive backs group.
Because of such, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Detroit bring Duce back on another short-term deal.
Philadelphia Eagles
If a return to Detroit isn’t in the cards, there have been reports linking Duce to a reunion with his previous employer. He had a big-time year for the Eagles in 2022, tying for the league lead with six interceptions.
Philadelphia is light on safeties, as it has little in the way of proven production returning in 2024. As a result, Duce could be a good fit to return and contribute for new Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
With Duce’s versatility to play either safety or nickel cornerback, he could be a helpful addition, as the Eagles look to bounce back from an ill-fated 2023 campaign that ended in the Wild Card round of the postseason.
