The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday the release of veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, ending his brief tenure with the team just days after he served a one-game suspension for a spitting incident.
Gardner-Johnson, who signed a one-year, $6 million contract in March, was ejected during Buffalo's Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders after cameras caught him spitting in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum. The NFL subsequently handed him a one-game suspension, which he served during the Bills' Week 8 victory over the Baltimore Ravens following their Week 7 bye.
While the incident drew negative attention, ESPN reports that the decision to release the 28-year-old was driven more by inconsistent performance in the secondary. Through six games this season, Gardner-Johnson allowed a 64.7% completion rate and an 83.5 passer rating when targeted. The organization reportedly felt there were too many "what the hell is he doing" plays.
In his absence last week, Damar Hamlin started at safety and recorded five tackles and a pass defended in the win over Baltimore. Hamlin is now considered the favorite to retain the starting role moving forward.
Gardner-Johnson entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2019. After three seasons in New Orleans, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 and has since had stints with the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and Chicago Bears before joining Buffalo this offseason.
