Ravens release C.J. Gardner-Johnson after one week with team, source says

Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun on Oct 14, 2025

Published in Football

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BALTIMORE — C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s time in Baltimore lasted one week.

The Ravens signed the polarizing safety to their practice squad last Tuesday in an effort to bulk up their secondary on the heels of a disastrous, injury-filled defensive showing versus Houston. A week later, the team released Gardner-Johnson, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun.

Gardner-Johnson joined the practice squad but was not elevated for Baltimore’s Week 6 game versus the Los Angeles Rams. He told The Baltimore Sun that, after being let go by the Texans last month, the Ravens were his “only option.”

Gardner-Johnson’s agent, Kevin Conner, told ESPN that they were “looking for a clearer path to play.” That’s a reference to the Ravens making a trade the same day for Alohi Gilman. The former Chargers safety suited up days after arriving in Baltimore and played 44 snaps against the Rams in what coach John Harbaugh called a “good dynamic” for their defense.

Gardner-Johnson has a history of short-lived stints.

He joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, tallying six interceptions en route to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. A month later, he was traded to Houston in a salary dump. Gardner-Johnson disagreed. He told “The Pivot” podcast that summer it was because the Eagles were “scared of a competitor.”

In Houston, the 2019 fourth-round draft pick logged 15 tackles in three games without a pass breakup. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters it was his decision to move on, citing communication issues and “what’s best for my team.”

The Texans released him after three games. Baltimore signed him before Week 6. And he was let go seven days later.

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Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker contributed to this article.