C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s day ended early Sunday, and not because of a big hit or a defensive stop.
The Buffalo Bills safety was ejected from the game against the Las Vegas Raiders after an exchange in the first half that appeared to end with Gardner-Johnson spitting in the direction of a group of Raiders offensive linemen, including center Tyler Linderbaum. Officials hit him with unsportsmanlike conduct, and he was disqualified.
The moment drew plenty of attention right away. NFL on CBS showed the incident during the halftime broadcast in slow motion, and the crew made its feelings clear with the line, “C.J. Gardner-Johnson, what are you doing??”
They also described the move as selfish, childish, immature, and unprofessional.
It was the latest in a run of negative headlines for Gardner-Johnson. He was penalized for unnecessary roughness in Week 5 when the Bills faced the Los Angeles Rams, and he also drew notice after calling New England Patriots receiver Efton Chism III a “practice squad player” after Chism’s winning touchdown against Buffalo.
Bleacher Report said more discipline could come for the 28-year-old veteran after further review. Gardner-Johnson has played for seven different teams in his pro career, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. The New Orleans Saints selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he spent three seasons with them.
Buffalo still finished the job without him, beating the Raiders 33-30 and improving to 5-1.
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Fernando Mendozas presence only adds another layer to the conversation, because the Raiders are trying to balance a veteran bridge option with the longer view of developing a rookie. Some fans are already mapping out when they would like to see Mendoza get a look later in the season, which tells you how quickly the conversation can shift if the offense stalls again. For now, though, the split is less about one player being the answer and more about how long the Raiders should keep waiting before making a bigger move. [Read more 🡒]