Bills release safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson a day after suspension ends
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The gist
The Buffalo Bills released safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson one day after he was reinstated from a one-game suspension.
The spitting ejection ended his first Bills season after eight weeks.
Background
C.J. (Chauncey) Gardner-Johnson is a Bills safety (#22) and former Philadelphia Eagles player who was in his first year with Buffalo. His season unraveled after he was ejected in Week 6 for spitting at or in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, drawing a personal foul and then a one-game suspension without pay. Reporting said he had not helped the defense, ranking last among 56 qualifying safeties with a 23.5% missed tackle rate and allowing a 75% completion rate into his coverage; he finished with 25 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception and a 55.2 PFF grade.
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026Gardner-Johnson was ejected in the second quarter of the Bills' Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders after spitting at/in the direction of Raiders TE Brock Bowers; he received a personal foul penalty.
- Oct 19, 2026The NFL announced a one-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct under Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1; he was suspended without pay and in line to miss Week 8 against the Ravens.
- Oct 30, 2026Bills head coach Joe Brady said after Friday's practice in Orchard Park that Damar Hamlin would start at safety for the November 1 game vs. Baltimore.
- Nov 1, 2026Hamlin started at safety in the Bills' home game against the Ravens.
- Nov 2, 2026Gardner-Johnson was reinstated after serving his one-game suspension, per The Buffalo News; the Bills were granted a one-day exemption to return him to the active roster.
- Nov 3, 2026The Bills released Gardner-Johnson, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Who’s saying what
- Coach
- Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said Hamlin "did a great job of stepping in," calming things down and making big-time tackles.
- Caution
- Leonhard also said that from a coverage standpoint the defense needs to be clean around communication, with "too many times where we look confused."
- Support
- Safety Cole Bishop said he and Hamlin have played a lot of football together, that he is super comfortable with him and that they communicate well.
Still unverified
It remained unclear what the Bills would do with Gardner-Johnson after his reinstatement, and Brady had yet to name a starting safety opposite Cole Bishop for Week 9 against the Vikings; Damar Hamlin may have gotten the start.