On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills made the surprising decision to release veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The move comes as a surprise because the 6-1 Bills have played seven games this year and Gardner-Johnson has started six of them at safety. The one game he didn’t start was Buffalo’s most recent one, and that’s because he was suspended.
Gardner-Johnson was suspended by the league for one game for spitting on an opponent in the Bills’ Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and now following that suspension, he is off the team.
The team didn’t specify whether the spitting incident had anything to do with Gardner-Johnson being released, only detailing that Buffalo signed defensive back Te’Cory Couch during the week that Gardner-Johnson didn’t count against the 53-man roster. With Gardner-Johnson now eligible to return, the Bills elected to keep Couch and move on from CJGJ.
Bills release C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Gardner-Johnson just made his way to Buffalo in March, signing a one-year deal worth $6 million. In his short stint with the team, Bills fans quickly learned why the veteran defender is such a polarizing player.
He quickly ingratiated himself in the locker room, and seemed like a player who would help Buffalo win games. His trash-talking, brash personality was also appreciated, as many people argued that the Bills defense needed more of an edge.
Buffalo saw the controversial side of Gardner-Johnson‘s personality, when he talked down on New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism following the Bills’ loss to the Patriots, and once again with the whole spitting incident. Now, Buffalo believes that is enough of the C.J. Gardner-Johnson experience.
He ends his short stint with the Bills with 26 tackles, two pass deflections, and one interception in just six games. For Gardner-Johnson, who has played with six teams in his NFL career, and has changed teams six times in the last five years, finding his next destination won’t be anything new for him.
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