Deebo Samuel Responds to Lions’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson With 6-Word Taunt

After Detroit Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson took several shots during the NFC Championship game, Deebo Samuel delivered the finishing blow on social media.

The two revived their now year-long feud in the January 28 game, where the 49ers stormed back from down 17 points to stun the Lions 34-31 and book their ticket to the Super Bowl. The players also met in last year’s NFC Championship game, with Garnder-Johnson’s Philadelphia Eagles getting the better of the 49ers and the two players engaging in some back-and-forth.

Samuel and Garnder-Johnson clashed again on Sunday, with intense play on the field and postgame trash talk.

Deebo Samuel Rubs. Salt in the wound.
Gardner-Johnson looked to wave goodbye to San Francisco fans in video footage published during Sunday’s game, after the Lions had a 21-7 lead in the second quarter. The Lions would increase their advantage with a field goal before the 49ers scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to win the game.

After the game, Samuel took to social media to post a video of Gardner-Johnson’s wave, which included a shot at his competitor.

They also battled on the pitch throughout the game. After Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez intercepted 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Gardner-Johnson found Samuel and delivered a blindside hit that drew a flag for unnecessary roughness, negating a decent return for the Lions.

Bad blood between rivals
Samuel and Gardner-Johnson have a history of bad blood. As Dajani and Chris Bengel of CBS Sports noticed, the 49ers receiver appeared irritated by the Eagles’ trash talk during last year’s 31-7 loss in the NFC Championship game.

After the game, Samuel stated that the Eagles were his “most hated team” owing to all of the trash talk from players.

“Gardner-Johnson fit that Philly mold perfectly, but he has now brought his energy to Detroit,” according to the report.

Gardner-Johnson fired back at Samuel this season. According to SFGate.com, he told the 49ers receiver during an Instagram livestream in October to “don’t be friendly when you see me” and referred to the wide out as “a running back” who couldn’t run routes.

“I ain’t even going to sit here and play with you, little boy,” Gardner-Johnson added. “Just because you got a little bag, people give you a little clout, and then you ain’t nothing, bro.”

The two have previously exchanged messages on social media. Gardner-Johnson took to X to mock Samuel for his role in the 49ers’ Week 6 skirmish against the Cleveland Browns.

Samuel responded by telling Gardner-Johnson that he had been into fights on the field before, as well as providing a video of a fight with Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims in 2020.

“Boy stop playing before you get a rewind of this….. boy sit down,” Samuel told him.

Samuel got the last laugh this time, as his team advanced to the Super Bowl for the second time in five seasons, while the Lions returned home for the winter.

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter for Heavy.com who focuses on the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. Previously, he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and worked as an assistant editor for athletic trade journals Coaching Management, Athletic Management, and Training and Conditioning. He lives in Rochester, New York, and is a huge football fan. More on Nathan Dougherty.