Watch: Eagles' $27,000,000 star C.J. Gardner-Johnson goes on X-rated rant against NFL referees
Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson unleashed a heated social media tirade against NFL officials. It came following his controversial ejection during Sunday's 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles defensive star made headlines not just for his ejection, but for his dramatic exit as well. Gardner-Johnson gave the double middle finger to Commanders fans while heading toward the tunnel after his disqualification.
From the stadium tunnel at FedEx Field on Sunday, Gardner-Johnson went live on social media. His emotional outburst came after referee Shawn Smith announced his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the game.
"F***y'all talking about. Man, f*** them refs, man. Them refs wanted me out there. I ain't do sh** anyway, man. I ain't do sh**. No, I ain't. Y'all know I ain't do sh**," Gardner-Johnson said.
The safety's first penalty raised eyebrows. After Commanders receiver Dyami Brown punched Gardner-Johnson, knocking his helmet off during a Terry McLaurin reception, officials only flagged Gardner-Johnson. His second violation came after Zack Baun forced a Commander's fumble — their fourth turnover of the day.
Teammate stands firm with C.J. Gardner-Johnson as Eagles' defense crumbles
Eagles safety Reed Blankenship stepped up to defend his fellow defensive back during a postgame interview.
"I'm not gonna get into detail. I'm gonna have his back. He didn't say anything at all. I was right there," Blankenship said. "When you're on the hot spot, things happen. At the end of the day, I have my dudes back."
Speaking to PFWA Pool reporter Nicki Jhabvala, Smith explained the calls he made.
"He's basically taunting the opponent on the second foul," Smiths said. "He already had a first one earlier in the game. He was taunting the players, so that's a disqualification by rule."
The ejection proved catastrophic for Philadelphia's defense. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels exploited Gardner-Johnson's absence. He posted a 105.9 passer rating with 16 completions on 24 attempts for 150 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.
Before 2024, Gardner-Johnson had maintained a clean record with zero unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He is now tied for second in the NFL with two such infractions, one behind Eagles teammate Jalen Carter.