C.J. Gardner-Johnson won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles by helping shut down Patrick Mahomes, the most accomplished active quarterback in the NFL. However, he was dealt a humbling reality right after his peak moment.
The Eagles decided it was time to move on from the safety, sending him away while his teammates were still celebrating the accomplishment. This left Gardner-Johnson to start from scratch in a new location. With the safety gone, the question becomes how the Eagles will replace him. One analyst claims to have an idea.
Philadelphia Eagles Should Go Young To Replace C.J. Gardner-Johnson, NFL Analyst Claims
Speaking on a June 6 edition of the “Ross Tucker Podcast,” NFL analyst Greg Cosell believed a rookie could take over in Gardner-Johnson’s stead.
“There’s no question they want him to start opposite Blankenship…”@GregCosell thinks the Eagles want to see Texas rookie Andrew Mukuba start at safety: pic.twitter.com/igGMaAd1Ta
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) June 6, 2025
“I think that they drafted Andrew Mukuba out of Texas in the second round. There’s no question they want him to start opposite Blankenship. Whether that happens or not, we’ll see how it plays out, because obviously, they lost Gardner-Johnson by choice. They traded him.”
Of course, as fans know, every rookie is a shot in the dark. Some have a higher chance of working out at the top of the NFL Draft, but many do not. Based on where Mukuba was selected, it’s clear that there are expectations for him.
Mukuba is coming off an impressive final season in college, but questions surrounding him still need to be answered.
Gardner-Johnson’s Replacement Has High Potential, But One Lingering Question Looms
Mukuba played in college for four years, spending three of them playing for the Clemson Tigers and one of them playing for the Texas Longhorns. His final year was impressive, totaling five interceptions and leading the SEC in that statistic.
However, the question of concern is that aside from his breakout season, he logged just one more interception.
His best season was his only one with the Longhorns, leaving room for speculation whether the Longhorns were the reason behind his success or whether Mukuba figured out something on his own, separate from the move to the Longhorns.
The Eagles have chosen to find out the answer for the cost of a second-round pick. It will look like another impressive move by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman or a stumble.
Will the move pay dividends for the defense, which is coming off a season in which it placed second in PFSN’s Defense+ metrics, or could the choice backfire?