Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected before halftime of Sunday’s Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders for unsportsmanlike conduct, stemming from an apparent spitting incident involving Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
The Main Development
Gardner-Johnson was engaged in a verbal dispute with several Raiders players before officials pulled him from the game, according to FOX Sports. Replay appeared to show him spitting in the area of Bowers during the confrontation.
The CBS broadcast crew did not hold back. Nate Burleson asked “What are you doing???” and Bill Cowher called it “That’s selfish,” according to Sporting News.
What It Means
Damar Hamlin stepped in for Gardner-Johnson in Buffalo’s secondary once the ejection was handed down, per Sporting News. The Bills entered the matchup at 4-1 while the Raiders sat at 3-2, and Buffalo had to finish out the contest down a key veteran defensive back with Hamlin absorbing additional defensive snaps.
Context
Sunday’s ejection extends a pattern of discipline and controversy for Gardner-Johnson since he signed a one-year deal with Buffalo worth up to $6 million in 2026. He was fined $11,194 in Week 2 for a hip-drop tackle on Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs on the first snap of the third quarter, then fined the same amount after the Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams for striking, kicking or kneeing an opponent late in regulation.
After Buffalo’s 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 4, Gardner-Johnson brushed off the loss afterward, calling Efton Chism III a “practice squad player” who “made a hell of a catch.” The safety also has a disqualification on his record from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he was ejected against the Washington Commanders in December 2024 after a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and flashed two middle fingers at the crowd on his way off the field.
What’s Next
The NFL did not announce any immediate discipline following the ejection. The league fined Gardner-Johnson $11,194 twice earlier in the season, and any additional penalty for the spitting incident would come in the days ahead.
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