C.J. Gardner-Johnson Suspended One Game for Spitting at a Raider: What It Costs the 5-1 Bills
The NFL suspended Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson for one game without pay on Monday, citing “an act of unsportsmanlike conduct” during Sunday’s win at Las Vegas.
The league’s release was specific about what it alleged. “During the second quarter, Gardner-Johnson spit at an opponent, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1,” it read, pointing to the rule covering acts contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.
He had already been ejected in that second quarter following an exchange with a group of Raiders that included tight end Brock Bowers. The suspension sits on top of the ejection.
The Calendar Softens It
Buffalo is on bye in Week 7. The suspension begins Monday, Oct. 26, and he is eligible to return to the active roster Monday, Nov. 2. The single game he misses is Nov. 1 at home against Baltimore.
So a 5-1 team loses a starting safety for one game and a bye week. By Spotrac’s accounting he forfeits $109,166 of a one-year deal worth $3.5 million with up to $2.5 million more in incentives.
That is a light punishment measured against the act and a heavy one measured against history. Bill Romanowski spat on 49ers receiver J.J. Stokes in 1997 and was fined $7,500 without missing a snap.
He Took It, and His Coach Did Not Soften It
Gardner-Johnson posted an apology on Instagram on Sunday night. “There is no excuse for my actions, and I take full accountability,” he wrote, calling the gesture toward his opponent “inappropriate, unnecessary, and not a reflection of the respect I have for him or this game.”
Head coach Joe Brady did not hedge on Monday. “He knows that that can’t happen,” Brady said. “That’s inexcusable.” Brady said the team will not stack its own discipline on top of the league’s, and added: “C.J. is a member of the Buffalo Bills. We brought him here for a reason and he knows that he has to play better.”
Under the collective bargaining agreement he may appeal, and an appeal would be heard by one of four officers jointly appointed by the league and the union: Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera or James Thrash. No appeal had been reported filed as of Monday night.
Who Plays Safety Against Baltimore
After the ejection on Sunday, Damar Hamlin and rookie Jalon Kilgore absorbed the snaps, with Cole Bishop working near the line of scrimmage in dime packages. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said afterward, “I thought Damar did a great job of stepping in.”
Brady named no starter for Week 8. Hamlin and Kilgore are the obvious candidates, with Geno Stone and Sam Franklin Jr. also on the roster. Buffalo has a bye to sort it out, which is the quiet mercy in all of this.
The Bills won 33-30 in Las Vegas and sit alone in first place at 5-1. Gardner-Johnson has 25 tackles and an interception through five games. This is his eighth NFL season and his seventh franchise. He led the league with six interceptions in 2022 and had six more for the Super Bowl champion Eagles in 2024.
The Part Nobody Should Dress Up
Baltimore kept him on its practice squad in 2025 and released him that October. He gets the Ravens next, and he will watch it from home.
A one-game ban for spitting at an opponent is the league drawing a line it declined to draw for nearly 30 years. Buffalo can absorb this one without much pain. The next one would cost a great deal more, and Brady said as much without quite saying it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
