Despite Super Bowl LVII outcome, recent Saints trade still baffling

Well then, Super Bowl LVII certainly left its talking points. From the New Orleans Saints perspective, there's one big thing Saints fans should be thinking.

Well, another Super Bowl has come and gone, and Super Bowl LVII has become yet another one that left its fair share of controversy. Obviously the New Orleans Saints weren't playing, but one notable former Saints defender was, and that's what we're going to explore.

When the Saints traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the eventual-NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, some heads were definitely being scratched. Suffice to say that after Super Bowl LVII, and the 2022 NFL season as a whole, those heads may still have the ol' itch.

Gardner-Johnson only played in twelve games due to missing five because of a lacerated kidney, which jus tsounds awful to even type. He still managed to intercept six passes, which tied him with fellow safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Justin Simmons of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos respectively, and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Wooden. Saints fans would be forgiven if they admit that watching that sort of production, along with his expected tackling prowess, was a tough pill to swallow. Speaking of, Gardner-Johnson's tackling was on full-display during Super Bowl LVII, albeit in a heartbreaking losing effort.

It does make sense why the Saints would have to off-load some pieces, due to them having the most crippling salary cap situation in all of football. The part that's still the most baffling about this trade though, is the compensation. The Eagles got a do-it-all safety having a career year en route to an NFC title, while the Saints received a 2023 fifth-round pick, and the lower of the Eagles' two sixth-round picks in 2024. Oh, and the Saints also threw in a 2025 seventh-round pick to Philadelphia for good measure. You'd be justified in feeling like that scale isn't exactly balanced.

At the end of the day, this is ancient history as far as the New Orleans Saints are concerned. Still, this is one of the biggest offseasons in recent memory for the franchise, so here's to hoping everything is on the up-and-up and there aren't anymore head scratching moves like this one with C.J. Gardner-Johnson.