New Orleans Saints Coach Dennis Allen Reacts to Massive Trade

Get our free mobile app

Everyone knew today was going to be a busy day for the New Orleans Saints. They have to trim their roster to 53 players, which meant they woke up needing to take over 20 names off their depth chart today. But most people were expecting cuts, and players who weren't fan-favorites to be the ones cut.

Today's biggest splash wasn't a cut, it was a trade, and it involved an absolute fan-favorite. As the Saints traded defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here's Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen reacting to the trade with the media today...

In addition to Gardner-Johnson, the Saints are sending their 7th round draft pick in 2025 to the Eagles. In return, New Orleans is getting a 5th round pick and a 6th round pick in 2024. Meaning the Saints won't see any results on the field from this deal for years.

Gardner-Johnson was a 4th round pick in 2019 out of Florida, and blossomed into a highly productive member of the Saints defensive backfield. He was also an outspoken player, who didn't shy away from conflict. Including when he stepped into Tom Brady's face during a game against Tampa Bay.

There's a lot of speculation surrounding the trade, everything from personality conflicts between the player and coaches, to the belief that the team could not sign Gardner-Johnson to a long-term deal. Allen didn't address that directly with his reaction today, and there's no guarantee we'll ever know the real reason. But for now, the Saints are down one fiery DB.