Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson recently accused the New Orleans Saints of playing “dirty” after a hard hit in the fourth quarter left Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the concussion protocol. On Monday, Saints head coach Dennis Allen responded to the allegation made by the former Saints player.
“I’d say our guys play extremely hard, and we compete until the whistle blows,” Allen said, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “I don’t believe we play dirty. That’s not how we coach, it’s not how we teach, but we do play tough.”
Allen went on to emphasize that the Saints are not out to injure opponents. “Look, nobody wants to see anyone get hurt, and nobody is trying to hurt anybody. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game. But we don’t play dirty, and we don’t coach that way. We play hard and physical football.”
Gardner-Johnson’s frustration stemmed from a hit by Saints defenders Payton Turner and Khristian Boyd, which he felt reflected “what kind of team” the Saints are. However, neither Turner nor Boyd were penalized for the hit, though the league may review the play for potential fines.
Gardner-Johnson, who was drafted by the Saints in 2019, was traded to the Eagles before the 2022 season. Despite the recent accusations, Allen stood firm in defending the Saints’ competitive but clean style of play.
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