One month after he helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded — much to the delight of Taylor Swift fans.
Gardner-Johnson, 27, a cornerback, was shipped to the Houston Texans on Tuesday, March 11, in exchange for left guard Kenyon Green.
The move came on the heels of Gardner-Johnson, who signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Eagles in March 2024, wearing a vulgar sweatshirt referencing the pop star, 35, to the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory parade on February 14.
“Swifties Can LIX My Balls,” the sweatshirt read, referencing Philadelphia’s victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on February 9.
NFL star C.J. Gardner-Johnson made sure his coach Nick Sirianni and other Philadelphia Eagles staff got a good look at his controversial Taylor Swift sweatshirt before their Super Bowl victory parade. Gardner-Johnson, 27, uploaded a YouTube video on Wednesday, March 5 of behind-the-scenes moments from the celebration in Philadelphia. In the vlog, Eagles safety arrived […]
“Taylor Swift somehow worked her magic to get CJ Gardner-Johnson traded out of Philly after that parade shirt,” one fan wrote via X.
Another wrote, “See you f— around and Karma AKA Tayvoodoo gets you 😂. Well deserved hope they win another superbowl without you. Grow up and be a man and father.”
For the non-Swifties, Tayvoodoo is a popular phrase used to describe the often seemingly cosmic way Swift’s career seems to karmically impact the world at large. Following the Gardner-Johnson trade, the word “Tayvoodoo” trended amongst Swift fan accounts on social media.
Swift, of course, is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Gardner-Johnson took his first shot at Swift directly after the Eagles’ Super Bowl win when Gardner-Johnson posted about Kelce, 35, via his Instagram Story.
“Should’ve Stayed with that thick s—’, Gardner-Johnson wrote alongside a photo of him taunting Kelce during the game. The post was a reference to Kelce’s ex, Kayla Nicole, who he dated prior to Swift.
In response, Swift fans began flooding a restaurant once owned by the football star’s parents, Brian and Del, with negative reviews.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce managed to keep a low profile while dining out in Park City, Utah. On Monday, March 10, the Instagram account Deuxmoi posted footage of the couple leaving a Park City restaurant. Swift and Kelce, both 35, were escorted by security to an SUV and slid into the vehicle quietly without […]
“I have friends who were sending me the screenshots,” Johnson said in an interview with TMZ on Tuesday, February 11. “They were going, ‘Oh my God, look at this!’ And the first thing everyone said was, ‘The Swifties have attacked.’”
Brian and Del explained that, despite their best attempts, the restaurant Swift fans bombarded with negativity had been closed since January 2025.
Gardner-Johnson responded to the trade himself on Tuesday, saying the decision “wasn’t mine.”
“But I walk away proud of what we built together,” he wrote via X. “To my teammates: Brothers, we bled, cursed, and laughed through it all. To the coaches and front office: Thank you for trusting a kid from Florida with a chip on his shoulder to lead this defense. And to the Philly Faithful — you’re unmatched. You embraced my edge and fire, for this game even when I got too hot.”
