Former Philadelphia Eagles star CJ Gardner-Johnson has hit out at the people of the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ as his bitter departure saga rumbles on.

The defensive back was a key player in the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl in February where they were edged out by the Kansas City Chiefs in a thrilling classic in Arizona. Gardner-Johnson was a free agent at the end of the season, and the 25-year-old safety decided to move on, signing a one-year, $6.5million (£5m) contract with the Detroit Lions.

And there is no love lost between the 2022 interception leader and his former team as he delilvered a brutal verdict on the residents of Philadelphia four months on from his exit. While speaking to fans on a Twitch gaming stream, one viewer donated $5 to have his question answered, asking Gardner-Johnson what his favourite and least favourite things were about Philadelphia.

“My least favourite thing is the people, they’re f****** obnoxious and I can’t stand these f******,” he said before adding the cold weather was his favourite thing about Philly – indicating the Florida native had very few nice things to say. It is not the first time the 25-year-old, who was a 2019 fourth-round pick for the New Orleans Saints and is one of the league’s most notorious trash talkers, has criticised Philadelphia and the Eagles since his departure.

“The disrespect smh (shaking my head),” he said in a March tweet which was quickly deleted, seemingly referencing the contract offer he received from the Eagles. And last month, he insisted he was much happier having left the Eagles behind to join the Lions, who narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season. “I’m still beloved by the real ones my g,” he responded to a fan who said the grass is not always green. “Love was never lost! And (the) grass is definitely greener my g my family STRAIGHT.”

Gardner-Johnson, who has hauled in nine interceptions over the past two seasons, has reportedly made an impressive start to life with the Lions, with reporters observing he had added intensity to practices during minicamp. “(I’m) somebody who cares about the game,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I mean, you guys play good ball here, not to take away from you, but I don’t think guys have the fire that I have.

“Anybody around the league. In the Super Bowl you seen it, last year you seen it, year before last you seen it, the year that I got in Tom Brady’s face you seen it, so I think the passion that you guys see and energy, I’m just ready to win,” he added. “I’m not trying to take no steps off so losing the Super Bowl don’t mean take a step back.”