The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday that they have released veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, ending a brief tenure in Buffalo that was clouded by a recent suspension and inconsistent performances on the field.
The move comes shortly after Gardner-Johnson returned from a one-game suspension stemming from a spitting incident during a Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL on CBS cameras captured the 28-year-old spitting in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and an ejection from the game.
The league subsequently suspended Gardner-Johnson for one game, a punishment he served during Buffalo's victory over Baltimore last Sunday, the team's first game back from its Week 7 bye.
Gardner-Johnson had joined the Bills in March on a one-year contract worth $6 million. While the spitting episode likely did little to strengthen his standing with the organization, ESPN reports that his release was driven more by his erratic play in the secondary than by the disciplinary matter.
According to the report, team decision-makers grew frustrated with too many moments that fell into the category of "what the hell is he doing" plays. Through six games this season, Gardner-Johnson allowed a 64.7% completion rate and an 83.5 passer rating in coverage against him.
With Gardner-Johnson sidelined last week, Damar Hamlin stepped into the starting lineup, and he now appears to be the frontrunner to hold onto the role for the remainder of the season. Hamlin recorded five tackles and a pass defended in the win over the Ravens.
Gardner-Johnson, who played his college football at Florida, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2019. He spent the first three seasons of his career in New Orleans before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the summer of 2022.
Since leaving Philadelphia, he has moved around the league with stints on the Lions, Texans, Ravens and Bears before landing in Buffalo this offseason. He will now look for another opportunity elsewhere as the Bills move forward with their reconfigured secondary.
