Pre-draft NFL draft analysts had him projected to be drafted as early as the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Chris Trapasso of
CBS Sports ranked Gardner-Johnson as the second best safety prospect prior to the
NFL Scouting Combine. After the NFL Combine, WalterFootball.com,
Pro Football Focus, and NFL draft analyst Rob Rang ranked Gardner-Johnson as the fifth best safety prospect in the draft. Matt Miller of
Bleacher Report also ranked him as the fifth best safety and projected him to be selected in the second round.
Sports Illustrated ranked him as the second best safety prospect in the draft.
Scouts Inc. had him as the fifth best safety prospect (83rd overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft.
New Orleans Saints The
New Orleans Saints selected Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round (105th overall) of the
2019 NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints orchestrated a trade to ensure the acquisition of Gardner-Johnson by agreeing to exchange their fourth (116th overall) and fifth round picks (168th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft with the
New York Jets for their fourth round pick (105th overall). He became the ninth safety drafted in 2019.
2019 On May 10, 2019, the New Orleans Saints signed Gardner-Johnson to a four–year, $3.30 million rookie contract that includes an initial
signing bonus of $784,100. Throughout
training camp, Gardner-Johnson competed for a role as a backup safety against
Chris Banjo,
Saquan Hampton,
J. T. Gray, and Terrell Williams. Defensive coordinator
Dennis Allen also had Gardner-Johnson take reps at
nickelback in camp. Head coach
Sean Payton chose Gardner-Johnson to be the backup strong safety to start the season, behind starter
Vonn Bell. In September 9, 2019, Gardner-Johnson made his professional regular season debut in the New Orleans Saints' home-opener against the
Houston Texans, but was limited to one tackle in their 30–28 victory. In Week 7, Gardner-Johnson earned his first career start, starting as a nickelback, and collected a season-high seven solo tackles and a season-high two pass deflections in a 36–25 victory at the
Chicago Bears. In a Week 13 game against the
Atlanta Falcons on
Thanksgiving Day, Gardner-Johnson recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by
Matt Ryan in the 26–18 win. On December 16, 2019, Gardner-Johnson had his first start at strong safety and recorded eight combined tackles (six solo) and forced a fumble by wide receiver
Kalif Raymond which he recovered during the 34–7 win against the
Indianapolis Colts. He started the last three games at strong safety in place of Vonn Bell who was inactive due to a knee sprain. He finished his
rookie campaign in
2019 with a total of 42 combined tackles (34 solo), eight pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 16 games and seven starts. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. The New Orleans Saints finished the
2019 NFL season a top their division in the
NFC South with a 13–3 record, clinching a playoff berth. On January 5, 2020, Gardner-Johnson started in his first career playoff game and recorded three combined tackles (two solo) and made one pass deflection during a 20–26 overtime loss against the
Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wildcard Game.
2020 During training camp, Gardner-Johnson competed against
Malcolm Jenkins for the role as the starting free safety following the departure of Vonn Bell. Head coach Sean Payton named him a backup safety to begin the season, behind starting tandem Malcolm Jenkins and
Marcus Williams. On September 13, 2020, Gardner-Johnson started in the New Orleans Saints' home-opener against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and made one pass deflection during a 34–23 victory. On October 11, 2020, Gardner-Johnson was punched by teammate
Michael Thomas during practice, which led to Thomas being benched for the following game. On November 1, 2020, Gardner-Johnson recorded nine combined tackles (eight solo) and was involved in a physical altercation with Bears' wide receiver
Javon Wims during the third quarter of a 26–23 victory over the
Chicago Bears. He was sucker-punched by Wims, which ignited a scuffle between both teams. Wims ran up to the back of an unsuspecting Gardner-Johnson and punched him in the helmet, but Gardner-Johnson did not react, leading to another punch by Wims and Wims was rejected by referees. Earlier broadcast showed Gardner-Johnson ripping off Wims' mouthguard off his helmet and Wims claimed Gardner-Johnson had also spit on him, but no evidence supported this claim and it was denied by Gardner-Johnson. The following day, the NFL reportedly suspended Wims for the next two games and fined Gardner-Johnson $5,128 for his involvement. In Week 10, Gardner-Johnson recorded eight combined tackles (six solo), made one pass deflection, and had his first career sack on quarterback
Nick Mullens for a six–yard loss during a 27–13 win against the
San Francisco 49ers. In Week 12, he recorded one tackle, made two pass deflections, and had his only interception of the season on a pass thrown by wide receiver
Kendall Hinton to tight end
Troy Fumagalli during a 31–3 win at the
Denver Broncos. On December 30, 2020, the Saints placed him on the
COVID-19/reserve list and he subsequently missed a Week 17 victory at the
Carolina Panthers. On January 8, 2021, he was taken off the COVID-19/reserve list and added to the active roster. He the season with 66 combined tackles (52 solo), 13 passes defended, one interception, and a sack in 15 games and 13 starts. The New Orleans Saints finished the
2020 NFL season a top the NFC South with a 12–4 record to clinch a playoff berth. On January 10, 2021, in the NFC
Wild Card Round, Gardner-Johnson recorded eight combined tackles (six solo) and a pass deflection and was also involved in a scuffle with receiver, Anthony Miller that led to Miller's ejection while they both received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties as the Saints defeated the
Chicago Bears 21–9.
2021 Throughout training camp, Gardner-Johnson competed to be the starting strong safety against Malcolm Jenkins. Head coach Sean Payton named Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Williams the starting safeties to begin the season with Gardner-Johnson as a primary backup safety and first-team nickelback. in 2021. He was inactive for the Saints' Week 2 loss at the
Carolina Panthers after injuring his knee. In Week 9, he recorded two combined tackles (one solo) and broke up a pass before exiting in the third quarter of a 25–27 loss to the
Atlanta Falcons due to a foot injury. On November 13, 2021, the Saints officially placed him on
injured reserve due to his foot injury. On December 11, 2021, he was activated from injured reserve and added to the Saints' active roster after missing four games (Weeks 10–13). On December 19, 2021, Gardner-Johnson collected a season-high seven combined tackles (six solo), made a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass thrown by
Tom Brady to
Scotty Miller late in the game to close out the 9–0
shutout victory at the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 17, he made one solo tackle, one pass deflection, set a career-high with his second sack of the season, and had an interception on a pass attempt by
Sam Darnold to wide receiver
D. J. Moore at the end of the fourth quarter to seal a 10–18 win against the Carolina Panthers. He finished the 2021 season with 46 combined tackles (32 solo), three interceptions, seven passes defended, and a career-high two sacks in 12 games and 11 starts.
Philadelphia Eagles (first stint) 2022 On August 30, 2022, the New Orleans Saints traded Gardner-Johnson along with a
2025 seventh-round pick to the
Philadelphia Eagles in return for a
2023 fifth-round pick (165th overall) and the lower of their two sixth-round picks (199th overall) in
2024. He entered training camp slated to be a starting safety following the departures of
Anthony Harris and
Rodney McLeod. He competed for the role of starting strong safety against
K'Von Wallace under defensive coordinator
Jonathan Gannon. Head coach
Nick Sirianni named him the starting strong safety to begin the regular season and paired him with
Marcus Epps. On October 9, 2022, Gardner-Johnson recorded ten solo tackles, a pass deflection, and had his first interception as a member of the Eagles on a pass thrown by
Kyler Murray to wide receiver
Marquise Brown during a 20–17 win at the
Arizona Cardinals. The following week, he made four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and a career-high two interceptions off passes by
Cooper Rush as the Eagles defeated the
Dallas Cowboys season 26–17 in Week 6. On November 14, 2022, he made six solo tackles, tied his season-high of two pass deflections, and set a career-high with his sixth interception of the season on a pass by
Taylor Heinicke to mark his fifth consecutive game with an interception during a 21–32 loss to the
Washington Commanders. The following week, he set a career-high with 11 solo tackles during a 17–16 win at the
Indianapolis Colts in Week 11. In Week 12, he recorded one solo tackle before exiting during the second quarter of a 40–33 win against the
Green Bay Packers after sustaining an injury. On December 3, 2022, the Eagles officially placed him on injured reserve due to a lacerated kidney. He was leading the league with six interceptions at the time. On January 7, 2023, he was activated from injured reserve and added to the active roster after missing five games (Weeks 13–17). He finished the 2022 season with one sack, 67 combined tackles (61 solo), six interceptions, and eight passes defended. The Philadelphia Eagles finished the
2022 NFL season a top the
NFC East with a 14–3 record to clinch a first-round bye. They routed the
New York Giants 38–7 in the Divisional Round. On January 29, 2023, Gardner-Johnson started in the NFC Championship Game and made five combined tackles (two solo) as the Eagles routed the
San Francisco 49ers 31–7 to advance to the
Super Bowl. On February 12, 2023, Gardner-Johnson started in
Super Bowl LVII and recorded four combined tackles (three solo) in the Eagles' 38–35 loss to the
Kansas City Chiefs.
Detroit Lions 2023 On March 20, 2023, the
Detroit Lions signed Gardner-Johnson to a fully guaranteed one–year, $6.50 million contract that includes an initial
signing bonus of $4.00 million. Throughout training camp, he competed to be a starting safety against
Kerby Joseph and
Tracy Walker. Head coach
Dan Campbell named him the starting free safety to begin the season and paired him with starting strong safety Kerby Joseph. On September 17, 2023, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles (six solo) during a 31–37 overtime loss to the
Seattle Seahawks before exiting in the fourth quarter due to an injury. On September 19, 2023, the Lions placed him on injured reserve after suffering a torn pectoral. On December 14, 2023, Gardner-Johnson was medically cleared to return to the field. On January 6, 2024, the Lions removed him from injured reserve and added him to the active roster after missing 14 games (Weeks 3–17). On January 7, 2024, Gardner-Johnson made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, and had his only interception of the season on a pass by
Nick Mullens to wide receiver
Jordan Addison during a 20–30 win against the
Minnesota Vikings. He finished the
2023 NFL season with only 17 combined tackles (16 solo), three pass deflections, and one interception in three games and two starts.
Philadelphia Eagles (second stint) 2024 On March 14, 2024, the
Philadelphia Eagles signed Gardner-Johnson to a three–year, $27 million contract that includes $10 million guaranteed. He entered training camp slated as the
de facto starting strong safety under defensive coordinator
Vic Fangio following the departure of
Kevin Byard. Head coach Nick Sirianni named him the starting strong safety to begin the season and paired him with free safety
Reed Blankenship. In Week 10, he collected a season-high seven combined tackles (two solo), made a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass thrown by
Trey Lance to wide receiver
Jalen Tolbert during a 34–6 win at the
Dallas Cowboys. On December 8, 2024, he recorded six combined tackles (three solo), set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by
Bryce Young during a 22–16 win against the
Carolina Panthers. On December 29, 2024, Gardner-Johnson had one solo tackle, two pass deflections, and tied his career-high of two interceptions, returning one for his first career touchdown during a 41–7 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He scored his first career touchdown on the Cowboys' opening drive of the game after intercepting a pass thrown by
Cooper Rush intended for wide receiver
Brandin Cooks and returned it for a 69-yard pick-six. His performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Head coach Nick Sirianni opted to rest Gardner-Johnson and the rest of the starters during a Week 18 victory against the
New York Giants to rest them before the playoffs. He finished the season with 59 combined tackles (35 solo), 12 pass deflections, a career-high tying six interceptions, and one touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts. The
Philadelphia Eagles finished the
2024 NFL season first in the NFC East with a 14–3 record. They defeated the
Green Bay Packers 22–10 in the NFC Wildcard Game. On January 19, 2025, he made six combined tackles (five solo) during a 28–22 win against the
Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. On January 26, 2025, he started in the NFC Championship Game and had five combined tackles (three solo) as the Eagles routed the
Washington Commanders 55–23 to advance to the Super Bowl. On February 9, 2025, Gardner-Johnson started in
Super Bowl LIX and had three combined tackles (one solo) during a 40–22 victory against the
Kansas City Chiefs. Gardner-Johnson was one of a dozen Eagles players of the Super Bowl LIX championship team that did not participate in the
White House visit in April 2025 though he stated his reasoning for skipping was not politically motivated and was due to his appearance and weight.
Houston Texans On March 12, 2025, Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick were traded to the
Houston Texans in exchange for guard
Kenyon Green and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. On August 7, Gardner-Johnson suffered a leg injury during practice. Gardner-Johnson started the first three games of the season for Houston, recording 15 combined tackles. On September 23, the Texans released him.
Baltimore Ravens On October 7, 2025, Gardner-Johnson was signed to the practice squad of the
Baltimore Ravens. On October 14, he was released by the Ravens.
Chicago Bears On October 29, 2025, Gardner-Johnson was signed by the
Chicago Bears, reuniting him with defensive coordinator and former Saints coach Dennis Allen. His signing came after cornerback
Kyler Gordon was placed on injured reserve, so Allen assigned Gardner-Johnson to a similar role that included blitzing as a
nickelback. In his first game with the Bears, a Week 9 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded his first sack since 2022 along with six tackles. Gardner-Johnson had two sacks and a forced fumble in the following week's win against the Giants, becoming the first Bears defensive back with multiple sacks in a game since
Ricky Manning in 2006. He suffered a concussion in the final game of the regular season, which kept him from playing in the Bears' wild card game before returning with a four-tackle performance in the divisional round.
Buffalo Bills On March 13, 2026, Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the
Buffalo Bills. ==NFL career statistics==