One of the Detroit Lions' big offseason acquisitions went down with a potentially serious injury during Monday's training camp practice.
Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a right leg injury and was carted off the field, per Tim Twentyman of the team's official website. A source described it to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero as a non-contact knee injury.
There is optimism that Gardner-Johnson's knee injury is not serious but there are more tests to come, Pelissero reports. "He's fine," a source told Pelissero.
The DB was visibly upset on the field, where he was attended to before being carted off, per reporters on the scene.
The Lions inked CJGJ to a one-year, $8 million contract this offseason as part of their plan to rebuild the secondary. A versatile defender, Gardner-Johnson can line up in the slot or at safety. He's coming off a season with Philadelphia in which he tied for the league lead with six interceptions in 12 games played.
Detroit will hope for good news following the non-contact injury, as losing Gardner-Johnson would take some shine off their offseason hype and thrust more questions into how the secondary will improve in 2023.
