ONE of my most frequent quotes is “Life is an I.Q. Test.” I say that a lot, and it happens to be true. For example, if SS Chauncey “CJGJ” Gardner-Johnson returns to the Eagles, it will show us how smart he is. By the way, the fact that he’s been a free agent this long, I think increases his chance of returning to the Eagles in 2023. Just saying.

He went into the free agent process thinking his services would fetch him at least 14M$ per year. So far only one Safety has netted such a deal, and CJGJ was not him. So he’s been posting and taking down messages on social media; the gist of which have been that, he feels disrespected by the offers he’s been getting. Boo-hoo.

So he’s not worth as much as he thought he’d be, and he’s butthurt over it.

Him being a twit and throwing a contract tantrum, is the reason the Saints gave him to us, for a 5^th and 6^th round pick. Forget a squabble over money, to them he wasn’t worth the headache.

In the end he’s still going to sign somewhere to make at least 7M$ this year, because it’s not like he’s going to retire in protest. So when he signs for under 14M, he’ll still feel like he’s underpaid, regardless of where he signs. (Hey look! It’s the world’s tiniest violin!)

This is where the I.Q. test comes in. Does he want to be underpaid on a rebuilding team, or on one that could be Super Bowl Champion inside of the next 365 days? Those are literally his choices right now. And I know what you’re thinking: “But he could go to another contender.” To that I counter with: Could he? Could he really? This article was brought to you by today’s sponsor: CONTEXT.

Chiefs are about all tapped out and won’t spend on him. Bengals would just be patching a hole created by the free agent Safety they just lost. San Fran just blew their wad on DT Javon Hargrave. Buffalo is a possibility, but CJGJ is a Florida boy, who likes nightlife. Dallas can’t afford him, because they just extended their own Safety,

Everyone else is farther away from being a Super Bowl contender.

There’s rumors that Denver is courting him, but they just hired a new head coach, and they play in the same division as QB’s Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert. With as loaded as the AFC is, it’s possible that CJGJ could never take another playoff snap, over the duration of his next contract.

Or he could come back to the team that MADE him, and possibly become a champion. What do I mean by “made him”? Just this:

True or false. When CJGJ was out with a lacerated kidney last year, rookie S Reed Blankenship stepped in and looked pretty darn good out there. That statement would be TRUE. So, Chauncey might want to git his ass back here, while the gittin’ is gittin’. Because he has more ways to fail than succeed. Let’s see if he’s smart enough to see that, because Life is an I.Q. Test.