The Buffalo Bills did a lot of things right against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, but one of the biggest mistakes was by cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson. During the game, officials caught the veteran spitting in the direction of tight end Brock Bowers and other Raiders players.
He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from the game. The NFL has cracked down on players spitting on or toward other players in recent years, so there’s been speculation that Gardner-Johnson could be suspended.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, that’s exactly the case. The league has decided to suspend Gardner-Johnson for one game.
Since he was ejected and didn’t actually spit on anybody, there was some hope that the ejection was enough of a punishment. Instead, the NFL is going to make him sit out a game. With the Bills heading toward their bye week, Gardner-Johnson is going to have to wait two full weeks before being able to play again.
The veteran cornerback has had a hard time staying on teams due to his more abrasive personality. Causing unnecessary penalties, getting ejected and suspended won’t help him find a long-term home in Buffalo.
Gardner-Johnson Knew He Was in Trouble
Gardner-Johnson isn’t going to be too surprised about the NFL’s decision. The league suspended Jalen Carter and Ja’Marr Chase last season for spitting incidents. Gardner-Johnson knows he messed up.
“I’ve got to be a better player, I’ve got to be a better vet,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I let my emotions get above me, and I hurt my team. They brought me here to play in big games like this. So I’ve got to do better and control my emotions, nothing crazy.”
According to Gardner-Johnson, Bowers didn’t even do anything too over the top to elicit that reaction from him.
“We were just arguing and talking,” Gardner-Johnson told reporters. “It was nothing negative. He ain’t do nothing to me. It was just in the heat of the game arguing and talking (expletive). That gesture isn’t warranted.”
Gardner-Johnson knows he messed up and is willing to take accountability.
“You’ve got to take it on the chin like a grown man, and understand that you can’t be doing [stuff] like that in a game,” Gardner-Johnson said. “No matter how passionate I am, I just can’t be doing [stuff] like that in the game. I cost my team. A player to go down, which is me, as a vet. I’ll be better. I’ll take my consequence as it is. A fine, whatever it may be.”
Sounds like he won’t be appealing the suspension based on these comments.
Tyler Linderbaum Calls Out Gardner-Johnson
Bowers isn’t known as a player who likes to get into shouting matches with other players. He wasn’t even totally aware of what was happening.
“I don’t even know. Just talking a little bit and then … I don’t know,” Bowers said.
Gardner-Johnson may have gotten away with it, but Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum caught the act and alerted officials.
“There’s no place for that in the game. If you do that, you get kicked out. That’s all I gotta say,” Linderbaum said after the game.
NFL Makes Punishment Decision on C.J. Gardner Johnson Over Brock Bowers Incident