Despite being the AFC’s best team by record, the Buffalo Bills released safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday, just seven games into their season. The veteran defender’s one-game suspension for spitting in the direction of an opposing player was just ending, and he could have been back on the field for Week 8, but Buffalo decided to go in a completely different direction with their secondary instead.
The Real Reason Behind the Sudden Exit
You might think that spitting incident was the final straw, right? Turns out, that’s not exactly the whole story. ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe reported that while the suspension was definitely a thing, Gardner-Johnson’s “inconsistency in play” was the main driver behind the Bills cutting ties. It’s wild to see a starter, especially one who played six games for the league’s top team, get shown the door like this. The Bills were apparently happy with what their other safeties showed against the Ravens while Gardner-Johnson sat out. That tells you they were ready to make a move.
More Than Just One Controversy
The spitting incident wasn’t even the first time Gardner-Johnson landed himself in negative headlines this season. Back in Week 4, after Patriots WR Efton Chism III caught a heroic touchdown to beat Buffalo, Gardner-Johnson reportedly called Chism a “practice squad player,” among other negative comments. It’s unclear how much these distractions played a role in his release, but it seems like Buffalo had enough. The Bills are now comfortable giving a larger role to safety Damar Hamlin as the season rolls on.
This move by the AFC’s top team sends a pretty clear message: performance always comes first. All eyes will be on Buffalo’s secondary to see how they adapt to this new dynamic as the regular season presses on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply