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The Houston Texans are in soul-searching mode after an 0-3 start to the season, and on Tuesday they made a surprising personnel move when they released veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.  

The Texans acquired Gardner-Johnson in an offseason trade with the Eagles, sending offensive lineman Kenyon Green to Philadelphia and swapping a 2026 fifth-round pick for a 2026 sixth-round pick in the process. The trade did not work out well for either team, as the Eagles released Green during training camp and now Gardner-Johnson is off the Texans' roster. 

Gardner-Johnson started all three games for the Texans, tallying 15 tackles in Houston's three losses. Houston apparently decided they wanted to go in a different direction with their secondary after the rough start to the year, and Gardner-Johnson received his release.

Without Gardner-Johnson, the Houston secondary will rely on nickel Jalen Pitre and backup safety M.J. Stewart to fill the void left by the veteran, who must not have fit what they wanted from that spot. 

As for what's next for Gardner-Johnson, he looks for a new team once again. He has changed changed teams every offseason for the past four years, including two stints in Philadelphia. A return to the Eagles seems highly unlikely given his comments about Vic Fangio and the Eagles' organization after the trade, saying they were "scared of a competitor."