C.J. Gardner-Johnson hurts knee

Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson was carted off the practice field Monday morning after suffering a non-contact knee injury, according to multiple reports. We'll await an official diagnosis, but this obviously sounds pretty serious. A healthy Gardner-Johnson would be a candidate for both the primary slot CB role and some safety work. We'll see about Detroit's defensive plans going forward.

Update: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the injury doesn't appear to be serious, according to team sources.

Lions HC Dan Campbell said Thursday that S C.J. Gardner-Johnson is ready to return from his Week 2 pectoral tear and could start practicing as soon as next week. "He's one of the X-Men, he's got these mutant genes because he has healed extremely quickly, and he's gotten his strength back. It is secure," Campbell said, according to ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "So, yeah, he's going to be ready to go here pretty soon." Campbell added that they still need to work out the "plan" for getting Gardner-Johnson back into football shape. It's tough to expect him to make an impact in IDP lineups before the end of this season, but we'll watch the safety's status.

The Lions fear S C.J. Gardner-Johnson tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, NFL Network reports. If confirmed, that would knock Gardner-Johnson out for at least a while -- and likely the rest of the season. We'll watch for confirmation.

Eagles S C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a lacerated kidney in Sunday night's win over the Packers and is out indefinitely, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It's reportedly not expected to end Gardner-Johnson's season, but we'd bet on at least multiple missed games. That makes Gardner-Johnson OK to drop for a replacement in many IDP leagues. You can stash him in deeper formats, though.

Eagles S C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a rib injury in the 1st quarter of Sunday night's game against the Packers and is questionable to return.

The Saints are trading DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles for a 5th-round pick in 2023 and a 6th-rounder in 2024. On the same day, Philly released starting S Anthony Harris. That points to Gardner-Johnson -- who played a lot of slot CB in New Orleans -- lining up next to Marcus Epps as a safety in the Philadelphia defense. CGJ immediately gains IDP value as likely a full-time player for his new team. He was near that level with the Saints but figures to get a slight boost. Gardner-Johnson also might carry a CB designation in leagues that split DBs by position, which makes him worth particular attention there.