The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday they have cut veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The move comes shortly after he returned from a one-game suspension that followed a Week 6 incident against the Las Vegas Raiders, when league and broadcast replays showed him spitting toward Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum; he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from that game.
Gardner-Johnson had signed a one-year, $6 million deal with Buffalo in March. The NFL suspended the 28-year-old for one game, which he missed during Buffalo’s Week 8 matchup after the team’s Week 7 bye. While the spitting episode drew attention, ESPN reports the decision to release him was driven more by inconsistent play in the secondary — through six games he’d allowed a 64.7% completion rate and an opposing passer rating of 83.5.
Damar Hamlin filled in for Gardner-Johnson last week and appears to be the frontrunner to assume the role going forward; in the win over Baltimore he recorded five tackles and a pass defended. Gardner-Johnson entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2019, spent three seasons there, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, and had brief stops with the Lions, Texans, Ravens and Bears before signing with Buffalo this offseason.
Fan Take: This matters because teams increasingly weigh off-field incidents alongside on-field performance — a moment like this can cost a veteran valuable leeway. It also opens a door for role players like Damar Hamlin to step up, and highlights how quickly depth charts can change during the season.
Source: www.cbssports.com
