The Buffalo Bills knew what they were getting with C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The veteran safety is a big-play hunter on the field, and he's never afraid to say what's on his mind off the field.
New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism made an incredible one-handed grab in a win over the Bills on Sunday. When asked about the play, Gardner-Johnson said, "A practice squad player made a hell of a play."
The Bills' safety didn't seem to see Chism's catch as much more than a fluke, though. He said that we "probably won't hear from [Chism] again" and that the receiver couldn't make the same catch again.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel clapped back on Monday morning. During an appearance on "The Greg Hill Show," Vrabel said, "For a guy that's been on eight teams in four years, I guess he knows the drill."
C.J. Gardner-Jonson's Efton Chism comments came back to bite him immediately
Vrabel's counting isn't exactly correct, but he got the gist. In the last four seasons, Gardner-Johnson has played for five teams: the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Texans, the Chicago Bears, and now the Bills.
As effective as he can be on the field, his locker room presence seems to have been a factor in his journeyman status. Those issues were especially prevalent with the Texans, who released him after just three games in 2025.
Through the first four weeks of his time in Buffalo, Gardner-Johnson had been nothing but a positive presence. That is, until his comments on Chism.
Even if he's right that Chism may not be a key member of New England's offense moving forward, there was no reason to put another player down. Acknowledge the play and move forward to the rest of the season.
Bills can't let Efton Chism's circus catch derail their hot start
Rather than calling out opposing players, the Bills need to focus on getting their season back on track. Coming into Week 4, they were arguably the best team in the NFL and had a clear path to the top seed in the AFC.
The Patriots played their best game of the season, but this loss shouldn't be anything more than a speed bump for the Bills. They still have sole possession of the top spot in the AFC East, but they'll need to be at their best in the coming weeks.
Over the next four weeks, the Bills play the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams, the 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders, the Baltimore Ravens, and the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings. The quicker they move on from this loss to the Patriots, the better.
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