CJ Gardner-Johnson news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, sidelined with a calf injury, called Browns QB Shedeur Sanders a "check-down.
The dig targets Sanders' play style as he competes with Deshaun Watson for Cleveland's.
Background
The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns held a joint practice on Thursday ahead of their preseason game on Saturday. Gardner-Johnson, who was not practicing due to a calf injury, engaged in trash talk from the sideline, reportedly calling Sanders a 'check-down king.' Sanders is competing with Deshaun Watson for the Browns' starting quarterback role, and the comment adds fuel to an already intense rivalry.
How it unfolded
- Aug 20, 2026Bills and Browns hold joint practice; Gardner-Johnson, injured, trash talks Sanders from sideline, calling him 'check-down king.'
- Aug 21, 2026Reports of the trash talk surface; Browns reporter Tom Withers tweets about it, and video shows Sanders throwing a 50-yard pass to Malachi Corley.
- Aug 22, 2026Bills Wire reports on the incident, noting the teams will meet in a preseason game on Saturday.
Who’s saying what
- Bills
- Gardner-Johnson's trash talk is part of the game, aimed at getting into Sanders' head.
- Browns
- Sanders is a talented QB who was 'looking spry' and threw a 50-yard pass, making the 'check-down king' label inaccurate.
Still unverified
The exact words of the trash talk are based on reports from Cleveland reporters; no audio or video of the comment itself has been released.