Bills release C.J. Gardner-Johnson just days after being suspended for spitting incident

Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year deal with Buffalo back in March

Nov 3, 2026 at 5:04 pm ET • 1 min read

The Buffalo Bills have released veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the team announced on Tuesday. This split comes in the wake of Gardner-Johnson coming back from the one-game suspension that he served in Week 8 due to a spitting incident that occurred in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Gardner-Johnson, who signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with Buffalo back in March, was spotted by NFL on CBS cameras spitting in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum. That led to him being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and being ejected from the game.

That also led to the NFL handing down a one-game suspension on the 28-year-old, which he served during last Sunday's win over Baltimore following Buffalo's Week 7 bye.

While this incident probably didn't help his case to remain on the team, ESPN reports that this release had more to do with his inconsistent play in the secondary. Specifically, the report noted that the organization felt like there were too many "what the hell is he doing" plays. Through six games played this season, Gardner-Johnson has allowed a 64.7% completion rate and an 83.5 passer rating against. 

Last week, Damar Hamlin started in place of Gardner-Johnson, and he should be looked at as the favorite to take over that spot going forward. In the win over Baltimore, Hamlin totaled five tackles and a pass defended. 

The Florida product entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints back in 2019. He spent his first three seasons of his career with the franchise before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the summer of 2022. Gardner-Johnson has since bounced around the league, making stops with the Lions, Texans, Ravens, and Bears before arriving in Buffalo this offseason.