Oct 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) celebrates after the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Bills’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson Ejected for Unsportsmanlike Act vs. Raiders Player 1
The Buffalo Bills’ lead was cut short just before halftime when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was hit with a game-changing ejection. Buffalo was holding onto a 13-10 edge over the Las Vegas Raiders with 15 seconds left in the second quarter when a routine defensive holding flag escalated.
Officials stopped play to sort things out after an incomplete pass from Kirk Cousins to Tre Tucker, disqualifying the Bills starter for the afternoon. To make matters worse, Las Vegas took the free yardage from the penalty and kicked a field goal to tie things up 13-13 right at the buzzer.
Oct 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The reason for the sudden exit became clear moments later. Gardner-Johnson was officially disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after he spit toward Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum. The two sides had been talking trash back and forth, and umpire Tra Blake caught the whole thing.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson spits in the direction of Brock Bowers, leading to disqualification https://t.co/8zW4OYIP7o
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 18, 2026
Head ref Shawn Smith didn’t hold back when explaining it to a pool reporter after the game, saying, “We had two players jawing back and forth and then our umpire witnessed him spitting on the opponent,” Smith said.
When asked for more details on the play, Smith added, “We don’t go into the judgment of where his spitting and this, that or the other. He spit on an opponent. He saw him spit on the opponent.”
Gardner-Johnson, 28, did not deny the act afterward, noting, “I got to be a better player. Got to be a better vet. Let my emotions get above me, and I hurt my team. They brought me here to play big games like this, so I got to do better.”
Meanwhile, Bills coach Joe Brady was blunt about his player’s lack of discipline. He said, “It’s uncalled for. It can’t happen. It’s gonna be addressed.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson apologizes for his act
The Bills won the game to improve to 5-1, but their secondary struggled without Gardner-Johnson. The Raiders (3-3) threw for 313 yards and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns against Buffalo’s thin defensive backfield.
Gardner-Johnson later posted an apology on Instagram, penning, “The gesture I made toward my opponent was inappropriate, unnecessary, and not a reflection of the respect I have for him or this game.”
Apology from CJ Gardner-Johnson on Instagram.
To his opponent, teammates and everyone who supports him.
“There is no excuse for my actions and I take full accountability. My actions will speak louder than my words moving forward.”
#Bills https://t.co/4TVp0jFADX
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) October 19, 2026
NFL rules require an automatic ejection for spitting, and Gardner-Johnson told reporters he expects a fine. The league has not announced its disciplinary decision yet.
This is the second ejection of Gardner-Johnson’s career. His first came on December 22, 2024, while playing for the Eagles against the Commanders. According to the San Francisco Chronicle and the Associated Press, the league has fined him 15 times over his career, totaling more than $200,000, but has never suspended him.
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