Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s time with the Buffalo Bills is at its end.
ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe reports the team is cutting the veteran safety upon his reinstatement from a one-game suspension.
Bills are releasing safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, per source.
It was CJ’s inconsistency in play that led to the release not as much the spitting incident that got him suspended. pic.twitter.com/shKLBxD7ip
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) November 3, 2026
Gardner-Johnson, 28, was ejected from the team’s 33-30 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders for spitting at tight end Brock Bowers. He then received a one-game ban in the aftermath.
Wolfe notes the release is the result of Gardner-Johnson’s inconsistent play and not the suspension.
A native of Cocoa, FL, Gardner-Johnson was in his eighth season and first in Buffalo. He appeared in six games, recording 26 tackles and an interception.
A fourth-round pick out of Florida in 2019, the Bills were sixth team over his career, having previously suited up for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles (twice), Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.
The Bills (6-1) return to action on Monday Night Football with a visit to the Minnesota Vikings (6-1).