Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been suspended one game for spitting toward Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers during Sunday’s 33-30 Bills victory, the NFL announced Monday. He can appeal.
Gardner-Johnson was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and disqualified after spitting in the direction of Bowers and Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum late in the first half. The league said he violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, related to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”
One day after saying he let his emotions get the best of him, Gardner-Johnson issued an apology Monday.
“There is no excuse for my actions, and I take full accountability,” Gardner-Johnson said in a post on Instagram. “No matter how emotional or intense the competition gets, I have to hold myself to a higher standard. To my opponent, I sincerely apologize. We compete hard between those lines, but respect should always remain at the forefront.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson walks off the field after being ejected for spitting.