The Houston Texans made a surprising move on Sunday afternoon when they traded John Metchie III to the Philadelphia Eagles. A former second-round pick, Metchie became expendable when the Texans added Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to the receiver room this offseason. But it was a still a shock to see the move go down even when the Texans acquired tight end Harrison Bryant and a Day 3 pick swap in the deal.
Moves like this usually have a somber tone in the locker room. Yet, a new Texans addition celebrated the move in a post on social media that may have some fans and some players scratching their heads.
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— C.J. Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) August 17, 2025
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Is Excited to Get His Old Number Back with Texans
Moments after the deal was reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, new Texans safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson made a post on X with a single 8 ball emoji. While Gardner-Johnson is known for not having a filter, the cryptic post was easily deciphered, as the No. 8 just became available in the Texans locker room.
Gardner-Johnson has worn the No. 23 for most of his career dating back to his time at Florida. While he wore No. 22 with the Saints, No. 23 during his first stint with the Eagles and No. 2 with the Detroit Lions, he wore No. 8 with the Eagles last season. Gardner-Johnson’s post suggests that his latest number is his favorite one and since he won a Super Bowl, it would be hard to blame him if he were superstitious.Â
Still, it might not be the best optics to win over his new teammates. After being diagnosed with leukemia in his rookie season, Metchie returned to the field in each of the past two seasons, catching a total of 24 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown. Though the production wasn’t there, his story resonated with his teammates according to head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“It’s exciting to see Metchie make those plays,” Ryans said during last year’s training camp via AL.com’s Mark Inabinett. “I think nobody’s more fired up than all of his teammates. You see the other receivers, and to see their genuine excitement for him when he makes those plays and just the entire team as a whole is pulling for him to do well.”
The Texans traded for Gardner-Johnson from the Eagles this offseason knowing that he had worn out his welcome in Philadelphia. They also knew that Gardner-Johnson’s no-filter approach has angered everyone from teammates to Taylor Swift fans. But it will be interesting to see how his latest post is accepted in the Houston locker room and whether he’ll be wearing No. 8 the next time he takes the field.