C.J. Gardner-Johnson gave Washington Commanders fans a present as he made his way to the locker room.

During the Philadelphia’s matchup with Washington, the Eagles star was caught in a scrum with Commanders wideout Dyami Brown, with the two getting face to face. It appeared as if Gardner-Johnson said something to set off Brown as the 25-year-old reached out to the Eagles star and struck his helmet.

Though it didn’t appear as if Brown threw a forceful punch, he did get enough of Gardner-Johnson to cause his helmet to fly off his head. Before the scrum could escalate, officials were quick to get between Brown and Gardner-Johnson with the 27-year-old staring at the referee to see what the call would be.

Instead of penalizing Brown, it was Gardner-Johnson who was penalized for his part in the fracas. As the game went to commercial break, the Eagles safety was ejected after receiving two unsportsmanlike penalties, which certainly did not sit well with the now enraged star.

As he was being escorted to the locker room, Gardner-Johnson was spotted throwing his gear on the sideline in frustration with the call. To further display his displeasure, Gardner-Johnson raised both hands and gave the crowd two middle fingers as he continued to walk to the back.

Fans on social media shared their thoughts, with many confused as to why Gardner-Johnson was ejected instead of Brown, especially since the former seemingly was the recipient of the action. “CJ Gardner-Johnson got shoved in the face and then got flagged ……. for getting shoved in the face????” one fan pondered.

C.J. Gardner Johnson was penalized after a Washington Commanders player struck him in the face

C.J. Gardner Johnson was penalized after a Washington Commanders player struck him in the face ( 

Image:

X: TrainIsland)

Another fan wanted the officials to be held accountable for seemingly making a poor decision, stating on X: “CJ Gardner Johnson just got ejected for …. words. That’s it. Investigation needs to be launched @NFLOfficiating.”

Lastly, a fan noted the circumstances of the ejection was less-than-ideal, especially for those wanting clarification on what exactly transpired. “CJ Gardner-Johnson just got ejected after 2 unsportsmanlike penalties,” the fan began. “Both happened during TV timeouts with no concrete evidence of him doing anything other than having words. These referees cannot be serious.”

Gardner-Johnson’s ejection was just another obstacle for the Eagles to climb in a neck-and-neck matchup with the Commanders. Early in the contest, Philadelphia star quarterback Jalen Hurts was ruled out for the rest of the game after being evaluated for a concussion because of the heavy hit he took from Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu.

In Hurts’ place went Kenny Pickett, who completed 14-of-24 pass attempts for 143 yards with one touchdown and one interception. And while Pickett played well, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels made sure Washington came away with the win.

With time running out, Daniels found Jamison Crowder in the endzone for his fifth touchdown of the day to give the Commanders the 36-33 lead with 10 seconds remaining. The Eagles will play the Dallas Cowboys next while the Commanders take on the Atlanta Falcons.