Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was carted off the field Saturday with what appeared to be a right Achilles injury.
Multiple reporters, including Alaina Getzenberg, reported that trainers examined Gardner-Johnson’s foot and that he was unable to put any weight on it. Teammates came over to check on him as he was tended to on the field.
Gardner-Johnson, 28, entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Saints out of Florida in 2019. He was in the final season of his four-year rookie deal and set to earn a base salary of $2.54 million when New Orleans traded him to the Eagles during the preseason.
His career has taken him through a busy stretch of movement since then. Gardner-Johnson tested free agency for the first time and landed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Lions, but he was placed on injured reserve after only two games in Detroit.
He later returned to the Eagles on a three-year, $27 million deal last March before being traded to Houston for G Kenyon Green. The Texans released him after just a few games.
Gardner-Johnson then signed with the Ravens’ practice squad, but he was released at his request a week later. After that, he joined the Bears on a one-year contract and finished the season there before agreeing to a one-year deal with the Bills earlier this offseason.
In 2025, Gardner-Johnson played in 13 games for the Texans and Bears and finished with 66 total tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and four passes defended.
In Other News...
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Camp Concern
The Bills got a scare at training camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during a practice drill and had to be helped off the field. It was the kind of moment that can stop a camp session in its tracks, especially when a veteran defensive back is involved, and Buffalo immediately shifted into the cautious mode teams usually reserve for injuries that could alter the shape of a roster conversation.
For now, the early signs are at least somewhat encouraging, with teammates and staff indicating Gardner-Johnson was able to walk afterward and is going through the usual medical steps. Still, the club is waiting for more clarity before saying much more, and the next update will matter for a defense that has been counting on him to settle in quickly during camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Just Got A Scare It Could Not Afford
Training camp already has a way of sorting out the hopeful from the fragile, and Buffalo got a reminder of that when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during 11-on-11 drills. He suffered a lower-body injury, was helped off the field, and the Bills quickly shifted from practice mode to waiting mode as he was taken in for further evaluation.
The immediate concern was hard to miss: Gardner-Johnson was favoring his right foot and not putting much weight on it before heading to the locker room. Buffalo is now waiting on medical testing to learn how serious the injury is, a situation the secondary can hardly welcome with the season work already underway. [Read more 🡒]