C.J. Gardner-Johnson ejected and apologises after spitting at Brock Bowers in Bills win
The Bills safety was disqualified in the second quarter of Buffalo's 33-30 win over the Raiders, and he later told teammates he let his emotions get the better of him.
Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected in the second quarter of Sunday's 33-30 win over the Las Vegas Raiders after spitting at tight end Brock Bowers. Under NFL rules, spitting is an automatic ejection, and officials flagged Gardner-Johnson for unsportsmanlike conduct before removing him from the game.
The ejection left the Bills without one of their defensive leaders, but they held on for the victory. Gardner-Johnson said at his locker that he had let his emotions get the better of him and had hurt his team. "I gotta be a better player. I gotta be a better vet," he told reporters, according to Yahoo Sports.
ESPN reported that Gardner-Johnson spat in the direction of both Bowers and Raiders centre Tyler Linderbaum shortly before halftime. Referee Shawn Smith said in a pool report that umpire Tra Blake saw Gardner-Johnson spit toward Bowers, which triggered the ejection. Gardner-Johnson said there was no specific provocation behind the act, saying Bowers had done nothing to him. Bowers said he did not know what had prompted the incident.
Gardner-Johnson said he expected a fine or other punishment from the league. In a later social media post he formally apologised to his opponent, teammates, organisation and supporters. Bills coach Joe Brady asked Gardner-Johnson to apologise for the incident.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen said he was still unclear what happened and that team captains would review the footage together. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said his team had suspected before kick-off that an incident of this kind could occur.
It was the second ejection of Gardner-Johnson's NFL career, the previous one coming in 2024. Sunday was the second consecutive week in which he was penalised 15 yards. Gardner-Johnson had started all five of Buffalo's games before Sunday. He is in his first season in Buffalo — his sixth different team and fourth in the past three years.
Some fans backed Gardner-Johnson for owning the mistake, while others called for him to be cut or left behind in Las Vegas. "Leave him in Vegas," a Bills fan wrote.
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Sources and context
- ‘You Will Grow From This,’ ‘Leave Him in Vegas’ — Opinion Split as C.J. Gardner-Johnson Apologizes to Bills Teammates for Spitting at Brock Bowersyahoo.com
- Bills' C.J. Gardner-Johnson ejected vs. Raiders after spitting at Brock BowersCBS Sports
- DB Gardner-Johnson expects fine after spitting incident in Bills' winESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.