Patriots' Mike Vrabel fires back at Bills' C.J. Gardner-Johnson for jab at Efton Chism III

Gardner-Johnson called Chism a 'practice squad player' and suggested the Patriots receiver could not replicate his spectacular game-winning catch

Oct 5, 2026 at 12:38 pm ET • 2 min read

The New England Patriots upset the Buffalo Bills in a key early-season divisional showdown on Sunday and got over the top in the close battle with help from an unlikely source. Wide receiver Efton Chism III secured the game-winning touchdown in the Patriots' 29-26 victory on the biggest play of his young career: A diving, one-handed catch in the end zone with 1:50 to play.

Bills cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson brushed off the highlight reception as a fluke. He called Chism a "practice squad player" and said that if the teams were to run that play over again, the wide receiver would not be able to replicate his stellar catch. It should be noted that Chism has been on the Patriots' 53-man roster since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2025.

"We're not going to get into no bulletin board material," Gardner-Johnson said postgame before promptly giving the Patriots plenty of bulletin board material. "An elevated guy made a hell of a catch. Probably won't hear from him again, respectfully. I say that with a lot of confidence, because it's like, he didn't put his confidence in his best player. If that was it, he would've threw it to Doubs or somebody. They won the game. Whatever. They ain't do s--- better than us. We gotta play better."

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel came to Chism's defense with his reaction to Gardner-Johnson's jab. He had a day to concoct the perfect response and delivered it Monday on his weekly radio appearance on WEEI.

"For a guy that's been on eight teams in four years? I guess he knows the drill," Vrabel said of the Bills defender. (For the record, Gardner-Johnson has been with seven teams in his eight-year NFL career, including spending time on the Bears and Ravens practice squads). 

New England, for now, has the last laugh thanks to its coach's "mic drop" of a reply. The teams will meet again in Week 13, and Chism will have an opportunity to show Gardner-Johnson that he, in fact, can replicate the dazzling catch.

Chism is a second-year professional out of Eastern Washington, where he broke Cooper Kupp's school record for single-season receptions and earned FCS first-team All-American honors as a senior. The Patriots were one of multiple teams to target him as an undrafted free agent, and they kept him around on their active roster following an impressive rookie preseason. Chism made only a couple of appearances in 2025 but displayed his potential in Week 17 when he hauled in his first two career receptions.

With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out due to a high ankle sprain, Chism saw action in each of the last three games and made one start. He has four catches on the year for 41 yards and the highlight-reel touchdown.