Buffalo Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson has been suspended one game without pay by the NFL over his shameful spitting incident against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gardner-Johnson has since offered a groveling apology for the disgusting moment, in which cameras caught him approaching Raiders tight end Brock Bowers for a heated exchange of words – before spitting in his rival’s direction.
The shocking moment occurred right in front of an official, who quickly flagged the action. Gardner-Johnson was ejected from the game soon after and left the field with a bizarre grin on his face.
The NFL took less than 24 hours to make its decision on a punishment, releasing a statement to the media on Monday afternoon over the ‘act of unsportsmanlike conduct.’
The league claims Gardner-Johnson ‘violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”‘
Gardner-Johnson will be eligible to return to the Bills roster on November 2 after missing the team’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, though there is still the potential for Buffalo to issue further punishment to their player.
Bills star CJ Gardner-Johnson was seen grinning after being ejected on Sunday afternoon
The Bills safety was seen spitting at a Las Vegas Raiders rival during their Week 6 clash
The NFL adds: ‘Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Gardner-Johnson may appeal the suspension. Any appeal will be heard and decided upon by either Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera, or James Thrash, the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.’
After the spitting incident on Sunday, the 28-year-old posted a lengthy apology on his Instagram story.
He wrote: ‘I want to take a moment to address my actions and sincerely apologize to my opponent, my teammates, my organization, and everyone who supports me.
‘My passion and competitive nature have always been a huge part of who I am, but I also understand that there is a line that should never be crossed. The gesture I made toward my opponent was inappropriate, unnecessary, and not a reflection of the respect I have for him or this game.’
He continued: ‘There is no excuse for my actions, and I take full accountability. No matter how emotional or intense the competition gets, I have to hold myself to a higher standard.
‘To my opponent, I sincerely apologize. We compete hard between those lines, but respect should always remain at the forefront.
He said the incident ‘was inappropriate and unnecessary’ and ‘does not define my character’
‘One moment does not define my character, but how I respond to that moment matters. I will learn from this, grow from it, and continue to lead with the integrity, passion, and respect that have carried me throughout my career.
‘I love this game, I respect this game, and I will always protect the integrity of this game. My actions will speak louder than my words moving forward.’
The ejection also prompted a reaction from San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who alleged on social media that Gardner-Johnson had spit on him previously.
‘This is the least surprising thing ever,’ Juszczyk posted, adding that Gardner-Johnson ‘spit on me last year when we beat Chicago.’
Gardner-Johnson was ejected in 2024 while playing for Philadelphia and has been fined numerous times during his NFL career, though he has never been suspended.
Buffalo is his sixth NFL team in eight seasons. He previously played for New Orleans, Philadelphia, Detroit, Houston and Chicago before signing a one-year contract with the Bills.
Bills coach Joe Brady said the incident reflected poorly on his team.
‘The discipline of our football team has to improve and that sure as hell can´t happen,’ Brady said. ‘The team is bigger than that, the situation is bigger than that, everything is bigger. It can´t happen, and it definitely has to be addressed.’
Gardner-Johnson could yet face further punishment from the Bills over the shameful incident
Brady said he hadn’t reviewed video of the incident but that officials told him the violation was clear.
‘At the end of the day, if it shows up like that, like that can’t happen,’ Brady said. ‘It’s uncalled for. It can’t happen. It is going to be addressed, and the team is way more important.’
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak praised his players for not retaliating, saying they had been warned about potential confrontations.
‘That’s the expectation,’ Kubiak said. ‘We knew going in there are certain guys that are going to try to do that to us, and the players knew before the game that if they got into it, they’d be standing by me on the sideline.’
