The Buffalo Bills are making another notable change on defense, and this one sends a clear message.
After Week 8, the team is releasing safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who did not play in Buffalo’s win over the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend. Gardner-Johnson had already been suspended for one game after a spitting incident during the Bills’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders weeks ago.
His exit comes after he started six games for Buffalo this season. In that stretch, he finished with 26 total tackles, one interception and two pass deflections. The veteran was brought in to be part of the team’s revamped secondary, but that plan is now over.
Buffalo’s secondary has been one of the shakier parts of the roster this year, and this move leaves the group even thinner. It also puts more pressure on the front office to keep adding depth, especially after the Bills already had to adjust last week.
Against Baltimore, Buffalo turned to veteran Damar Hamlin and Geno Stone in Gardner-Johnson’s place, and both did enough to give the team confidence in the decision. Hamlin finished with five combined tackles and one pass deflection in that game.
The move also fits a broader pattern with Gardner-Johnson, who has built a controversial reputation around the league. He is talented, but his emotions have gotten the better of him at times, and that has cost him with previous teams as well.
Now he’s back on the market and looking for another NFL opportunity. There could be interest, but he’ll need to keep things in check if he wants to avoid adding to that reputation.
For Buffalo, the bigger picture remains the same: the defense has been a work in progress, and the Bills know they need to keep fixing it if they want to stay on track with their Super Bowl aspirations.
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