The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might not have been in the NFC Championship Game but that doesn't mean they didn't have players they were rooting against. One of those such players was C.J. Gardner-Johnson who Bucs fans have grown to despise.
A lot of this goes back to Gardner-Johnson's days as a New Orleans Saint where he flexed on the Bucs during the Tom Brady years when Brady threw a Microsoft after getting picked off. The hatred increased when Gardner-Johnson trash-talked Baker Mayfield before, during, and after the NFC Divisional game last week when the Lions outlasted Tampa to advance to the NFC title game.
Well, Bucs fans enjoyed laughing at Gardner-Johnson this weekend, as the Lions safety made an ass of himself during the NFC Championship Game. When the Lions were up 20-7 in the second quarter, CJGJ took it upon himself to wave goodbye to 49ers fans.
CJ Gardner Johnson was waving goodbye to Niner fans in the 2nd quarter
— The Warner House (@TheWarnerHouse_) January 29, 2024
SF outscored Detroit 27-4 since this… pic.twitter.com/PK45cEyQBP
As the tweet above alludes, the Niners went on to outscore the Lions 27-4 (the point after hadn't been kicked when he did this if you were confuse where the four points came from) and the Lions' collapse came to fruition. People made sure to dunk on C.J. Gardner-Johnson for his premature wave to the crowd.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson gets a heavy dose of karma in loss to 49ers
Let us know how the weather is in Cancun!
— C (@xCuhrizmaa) January 29, 2024
The offseason has now begun for the Lions and Gardner-Johnson can wave to crowds from the comfort of his own home now.
He was waving bye to their momentum
— Gabriel Garza (@Gabriel15532606) January 29, 2024
After he waved to the crowd, the Lions surrendered 27 points while their offense only scored a field goal.
— Mike (@ClcktwrPrdx) January 29, 2024
Oof.
Hahahaha bum pic.twitter.com/6wWamscKeo
— B (@Blawlerrr) January 29, 2024
Bucs fans definitely enjoyed this moment.
— Kevin Lempfert (@Ninerfan18603) January 29, 2024
I don't know if the Niners knew about Gardner-Johnson waving to their fans but if they did, this is grade-A trolling.