The NFL handed Buffalo Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson a one-game suspension on Monday after he was ejected in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders for spitting toward tight end Brock Bowers.
But Gardner-Johnson appealed the suspension, and it didn’t go his way.
“Hearing officer Jordy Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA, has upheld the one-game suspension of C.J. Gardner-Johnson,” NFL senior vice president of football and international communications Michael Signora wrote Thursday on X.
Because the Bills have a bye in Week 7, Gardner-Johnson won’t return after the team’s Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Bills HC Joe Brady Addressed Gardner-Johnson’s Actions
With 20 seconds left in the first half, the Raiders trailed 13-10 in Buffalo territory when Gardner-Johnson received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The penalty didn’t just get him ejected; it moved the ball to the Bills’ 14-yard line and set up a game-tying field goal a few plays later.
Head coach Joe Brady addressed Gardner-Johnson’s actions after the game.
“He knows that that can’t happen. That’s inexcusable. That’s not the standard that we’re going to have and play with,” Brady said, via the team’s website. “He’s addressed it, it’s been addressed.
“It can’t happen. That’s why that’s not what we’re about. That’s not what the game of football’s about. And he knows that. And I’m understanding of why he was kicked out of the game.”
The Bills signed Gardner-Johnson to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million this offseason, and he’s appeared in all six games this season.
Buffalo’s Defense Is Not off to a Great Start
The Bills’ offense has been carrying the load for the first six weeks of the season, averaging a league-high 32.8 points per game, tied with the Lions. However, Detroit has played one fewer game because its bye week fell in Week 6. Notably, Buffalo’s defense is giving up almost as many points as the Bills’ offense scores.
Buffalo allows an average of 28.5 points per game and, interestingly, has allowed over 30 points in four games this season, yet won all of them. But this trend may not continue when the Bills face teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots, all of which have strong defenses and offenses.
The Bills already lost to the Patriots once this season in Week 4, scoring 26 points and allowing 29.
Buffalo has two weeks to address some defensive issues before facing the Ravens. There’s uncertainty about whether quarterback Lamar Jackson will return, as he has sat out the last two games with a left ankle injury.
NFL Makes Final Decision on Bills’ C. J. Gardner-Johnson Suspension After Spitting Incident