The Eagles are bringing back a safety they didn't want to leave in the first place after agreeing to terms with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on a three-year contract.

The NFL Network was the first to report the news, saying the deal is worth up to $33 million for Gardner-Johnson, who played last season for Detroit.

Gardner-Johnson, 26, played for the Eagles in 2022 after they acquired him in a trade from New Orleans just before the season started. Gardner-Johnson tied for the NFL lead in interceptions that season with six despite missing five games at the end of the regular season with a lacerated kidney.

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Gardner-Johnson returned for the Eagles' Super Bowl run, then became a free agent. The Eagles wanted to keep him, at one point choosing him over cornerback Darius Slay, whom they informed they were going to release.

But when Gardner-Johnson wouldn't lower his salary demands, most likely for more than $10 million per season. So the Eagles gave Slay a three-year extension and let Gardner-Johnson leave as a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Lions for $8.5 million.

Gardner-Johnson got his money this time, even though he played only three regular-season games for the Lions after tearing his pectoral muscle in Week 2. He returned in time for the playoffs, where the Lions were eliminated in the NFC championship game.

Gardner-Johnson filled the second need for the Eagles on defense heading into the official start of free agency on Wednesday at 4 p.m. On Monday, the Eagles agreed on a three-year deal worth as much as $51.1 million with Jets pass rusher Bryce Huff.

The Eagles also addressed needs on offense by signing running back Saquon Barkley (3 years, $37.75 million), wide receiver DeVante Parker (one year, $4.7 million) and offensive lineman Matt Hennessy.

Gardner-Johnson is returning to an Eagles safety unit that struggled mightily without him. The Eagles finished 31st in pass defense in 2023 as their plan to replace him and other free-agent departures fell apart.

After both starting safeties in Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps left last spring in free agency, the Eagles promoted Reed Blankenship to starter, then signed low-cost veterans Justin Evans and Terrell Edmunds, and drafted Sydney Brown in the third round.

But Brown wasn't ready to start Week 1, Evans suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5 after beating out Edmunds for the other starting spot. Desperate, the Eagles traded for veteran Kevin Byard in October, sending Edmunds and a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick to Tennessee.

Byard, 31, played every snap on defense in his 11 games with the Eagles, but only had one interception. The Eagles released Byard two weeks ago to save $13 million on the salary cap.

In addition, Brown tore his ACL in the regular-season finale and likely won't be ready for the start of the season.

So the Eagles came back to Gardner-Johnson, this time with a three-year offer. In all, Gardner-Johnson has 12 interceptions and 245 tackles in five seasons.

Gardner-Johnson was the Saints' fourth-round pick in 2019 out of Florida and played mostly nickel for the Saints. The Eagles traded for him in Aug. 2022, also getting a 2023 seventh-round pick. In return, the Eagles sent the Saints a 2023 fifth-round draft pick in 2023 and a sixth-rounder this year.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles bringing back CJ Gardner-Johnson, one year after letting him go