Houston Texans Release Former Cocoa Tiger C.J. Gardner-Johnson After Three Games
By Space Coast Daily // September 23, 2025
Houston acquired CJ Gardner-Johnson in March
ABOVE VIDEO: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson: 2020 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Profile
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Cocoa native and Space Coast Sports Hall of Famer C.J. Gardner-Johnson was released by the Houston Texans on Tuesday, bringing an abrupt end to his time with the franchise after just three games.
The former Cocoa Tiger and University of Florida star recorded 15 tackles in three starts this season but did not tally an interception or pass breakup.
Houston had acquired Gardner-Johnson in March, sending 2022 first-round pick Kenyon Green to the Philadelphia Eagles in hopes of adding a proven playmaker to their secondary.
The move came less than a year after Gardner-Johnson’s standout 2024 campaign with Philadelphia, where he tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions and helped guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship.
A 2019 fourth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints, Gardner-Johnson has built a reputation as a versatile, hard-hitting safety capable of making game-changing plays. His NFL journey has taken him from New Orleans to Philadelphia, to a brief stop in Detroit, and back to the Eagles before his latest stint with Houston.
Back home on the Space Coast, Gardner-Johnson’s impact on the gridiron has long been celebrated. As a standout at Cocoa High School, he helped power the Tigers into state championship contention and earned induction into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy among the area’s all-time great athletes.
While questions remain about where his NFL career will take him next, Gardner-Johnson’s journey from the Friday night lights of Cocoa to the Super Bowl stage ensures his place as one of Brevard County’s most accomplished football exports.
