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C.J. Gardner Johnson's 2024 free agency contract projection

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Josh Queipo | Last updated Jan 30, 2024 12:51 PM ET

The NFL's regular season is over, which for most teams, means it's time to start figuring out plans for the offseason.

NFL free agency is a huge part of the process, and along with the NFL Draft, it has everyone preparing for what should be a very active couple of months.

We've officially come up with our own contract projections for the NFL's top free agents that include context behind each player's 2023 season, the likelihood of a franchise tag, the projection itself, and the first-year cap hit for a team that's “all-in” and is needing to reduce that first-year hit in order to maximize their cap dollars.

So, without further ado, let's check out the projection for Detroit Lions defensive back, C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson 2024 Contract Projection

Gardner-Johnson faced a soft market in 2023 and wound up signing a team-friendly prove-it deal with the Lions. As part of a revamped secondary, he had a chance to shine and parlay that season into a bigger and better deal in 2024. Unfortunately for Gardner-Johnson, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2 and missed the rest of the regular season.

One of the most physical slot defenders in the NFL, he has played well every season since arriving in the league, including six interceptions in 2022 with Philadelphia and 38 passes defensed in five seasons, Gardner-Johnson will likely look for a multi-year deal and sacrifice some of the APY he could earn on a one-year pact.

Gardner-Johnson’s versatility as both a slot defender and box safety allow him to be a multi-solution for a team looking for a versatile and multiple back seven.

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
2 yrs $17.0M, $8.5M APY, $8.5M fully GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $6.0 million

Be sure to check back in and around the site for more projections, as we will add more in the coming days and weeks.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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