The third time is the charm. That's certainly been the case for CJ Henderson, who's enjoying somewhat of a career revival after he came crashing down with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When the Jags drafted Henderson 10th overall in 2020, they thought they had found a viable replacement for Jalen Ramsey, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams the year prior. Instead, they got a player who only suited up for 10 games in Duval before being shipped to the Carolina Panthers in 2021.
After stints with the Panthers and later the Pittsburgh Steelers, Henderson resurfaced with the Atlanta Falcons last year. Although the former Florida Gator spent most of his first season in A-Town on the practice squad, he was eventually signed to the active roster in 2025. And after a promising offseason, he's made the initial 53-man roster.
After getting the bust label with the Jaguars, CJ Henderson resurfaced with the Falcons
CJ Henderson flashed as a rookie, but a groin injury brought his rookie season to an abrupt end. He wasn't able to stay healthy the following year. Compounding the issue is that the Miami, Florida native fell out of Jacksonville's grace after missing a few practices in training camp. This is why nobody batted an eye when he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in return for a third-round selection and tight end Dan Arnold.
Henderson went on to play 39 games with 22 starts for the Panthers. All things considered, he was unremarkable and was shown the door in 2024. Nevertheless, the Steelers took a flyer on him, signing him to their practice squad last year.
Following his tenure in Steel City, Henderson signed with the Falcons just before the 2025 season began. He didn't make the roster but landed on their practice squad. The Dirty Birds thrust him into action late in the year, and he rewarded them with the game-sealing interception to trounce the Arizona Cardinals.
That might've been enough to convince Atlanta to give him another chance. He made the most of it.
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Why things didn't work out for CJ Henderson with the Jaguars
Players' readiness is always variable coming out of the draft, and it's possible that CJ Henderson wasn't prepared to deal with the challenges the NFL presents to young players. It also didn't help that the regime that drafted him was shown the door just one year after drafting him.
The Panthers certainly liked Henderson enough to keep him for nearly three seasons. And based on his stint with the Falcons, it's posssible that's he's already figured out what it takes to flourish in the pro.
Make no mistake, though, Henderson is far from a Pro Bowl-caliber player, so you cannot truly say that he's at last lived up to his draft billing now. Still, he's come a long way since Jacksonville cut ties with him.
Looking back, CJ Henderson wasn't a fit with the Jaguars, so they moved on from him. He's now found his footing with the Falcons, and Jacksonville has a well-rounded cornerback group that includes Travis Hunter, so you could make the case that things worked out in the end.
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