Bills cut C.J. Gardner-Johnson one day after his spitting suspension ends

C.J. Gardner-Johnson's time in Buffalo fell apart following an October 18 post-whistle confrontation in Las Vegas, where he was ejected for spitting toward Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.

The Buffalo Bills announced the release of veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday, November 3.

The move came just one day after his one-game NFL suspension officially ended.

Gardner-Johnson had been suspended for spitting in the direction of Las Vegas Raiders players during a Week 6 matchup on October 18.

The incident occurred late in the second quarter of a 33-30 Bills win at Allegiant Stadium.

After a whistle, a scrum broke out between players from both teams.

Gardner-Johnson was caught on camera spitting toward Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.

He was immediately ejected from the game.

The NFL reviewed the incident and issued a one-game suspension without pay.

Gardner-Johnson appealed the suspension.

The appeal was denied.

He subsequently apologized to his teammates and Bills fans, accepting the consequences and saying he had to be better.

The suspension forced him to miss Buffalo's Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

During his absence, the Bills promoted Te'Cory Couch to the active roster on October 31.

Damar Hamlin started at safety in Gardner-Johnson's place against Baltimore.

The Bills defense limited the Ravens to 144 total yards in a 36-10 win, though Baltimore played much of the game without starters Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe).

Buffalo improved to 6-1 after that victory.

Coach Joe Brady was non-committal about Gardner-Johnson's status when the suspension was first announced.

When asked about the player on Monday, November 2 — the day after the Ravens game — Brady sidestepped the question.

He said only that he had no discussions with Gardner-Johnson after the player returned to attend meetings.

The NFL granted the Bills a one-day roster exemption through Tuesday, giving the team time to make a decision.

On Tuesday, the Bills made that decision official.

Gardner-Johnson was released.

The team's statement provided no further details on the reasons for his departure.

But multiple reports indicated the decision was driven by a combination of the disciplinary incident and inconsistent performance.

According to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, the Bills were frustrated with Gardner-Johnson's play even before the suspension.

Wolfe reported on NFL The Insiders: "His playmaking ability no longer made up for some of the lapses he had. And you combine that with him getting suspended for spitting on a player, it just was not worth it anymore for this Bills team."

Wolfe added: "I talked to one Bills source who said there were a few plays in a game where you're like, 'What the heck is he doing out there?'"

Gardner-Johnson started all six games he played for Buffalo this season.

He recorded 26 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception.

He was part of a secondary that was among the NFL's worst against the pass through the first half of the season.

His arrival in Buffalo came on a one-year contract signed in March.

The 28-year-old was entering his eighth NFL season.

Buffalo was his sixth franchise in five seasons, including two separate stints with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in the 2024 season.

General Manager Brandon Beane acknowledged before signing him that he consulted with coaches and had a lengthy discussion with Gardner-Johnson about his reputation.

That reputation included being a noted trash-talker who had crossed the line with illegal hits on occasion.

The spitting incident became the final straw.

Gardner-Johnson was reinstated from suspension on November 2, the day before his release was announced.

The Bills chose to keep Te'Cory Couch on the active roster.

Couch had joined the squad during Gardner-Johnson's suspension.

Buffalo's secondary will now move forward with Hamlin, Couch, and practice squad call-ups like Geno Stone.

The team is off until Thursday, when they resume practice to prepare for a Monday night game at Minnesota against the 6-1 Vikings.

For Gardner-Johnson, the question now is whether another NFL team will give him a chance.