After Detroit Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson got in some shots during the NFC Championship game, Deebo Samuel delivered the final 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 some heated play on the field and trash talk following the game.
Deebo Samuel Rubs Salt in the Wound
Video shared during Sunday’s game appeared to show Gardner-Johnson waving goodbye to San Francisco fans after the Lions had taken a 21-7 lead in the second quarter. The Lions would extend the lead 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 share a video of Gardner-Johnson’s wave with a shot at his rival.
“Someone go check on lil bruh,” Samuel wrote.
The two clashed on the field during the game as well. After Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez picked off 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Gardner-Johnson found Samuel and delivered a blindside hit that drew a flag for unnecessary roughness and wiped out a good return for the Lions.
Bad Blood Between Rivals
Samuel and Gardner-Johnson have some history of bad blood. As Jordan Dajani and Chris Bengel of CBS Sports noted, the 49ers receiver appeared miffed at the trash talking from the Eagles in last year’s 31-7 loss in the NFC Championship game.
Samuel said after the game that the Eagles were his “most hated team” due to all the trash talking from players.
“Gardner-Johnson fit that Philly mold perfectly, but he has now brought his energy to Detroit,” the report noted.
Gardner-Johnson shot back at Samuel this season. As SFGate.com noted, he warned the 49ers receiver during an Instagram livestream in October “don’t be friendly when you see me” and saying the wide receiver was just “a running back” who can’t run routes.
“I ain’t even going to sit here and play with you, little boy,” Gardner-Johnson said. “Just because you got a little bag, people give you a little clout, and then you ain’t nothing, bro.”
The two have gone back and forth on social media before. After the 49ers got into a Week 6 scuffle during a loss to the Cleveland Browns, Gardner-Johnson took to X to mock Samuel for his role in the fight.
Samuel shot back, reminding Gardner-Johnson that he had gotten into scraps on the field before as well and sharing a clip 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 said.
Samuel got the last laugh this time, with his team headed back to the Super Bowl for the second time in the last five seasons and the Lions headed home for the offseason.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions for Heavy.com. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty.
