The Buffalo Bills released safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday, cutting short a one-year contract worth up to $6 million after just six games with the team, Caucus Football reported. The 28-year-old’s stint in Buffalo lasted only a few weeks, ending one day after he served a one-game NFL suspension for an on-field incident against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gardner-Johnson was ejected from Buffalo’s 33-30 victory over the Raiders after officials said he spat at Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, and the league followed with a one-game suspension. But the incident was not the driving reason for his release, according to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, who reported that the Bills’ decision stemmed mainly from Gardner-Johnson’s inconsistent on-field performance rather than the ejection itself.
Six games, 26 tackles, one interception
In six appearances with Buffalo, Gardner-Johnson recorded 26 tackles and one interception, per Caucus Football. Pro-Football-Reference.com lists him at 5-11, 208 pounds, with 93 career games played and 347 career interception return yards, plus one Super Bowl title from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
General manager Brandon Beane signed Gardner-Johnson in March at the start of free agency, hoping the veteran would pair with safety Cole Bishop in the Bills’ defensive backfield. The experiment never developed; the deal, which could have paid up to $6 million, is now finished.
His sixth NFL team in eight seasons
Gardner-Johnson, a Cocoa, Florida native drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, has played for six different clubs across his eight seasons: the New Orleans Saints, the Eagles (twice), the Detroit Lions, the Houston Texans, the Chicago Bears and now the Bills. His departure from Houston earlier in the 2025 season was already contentious; during the Bills’ training camp over the summer, he openly criticized how the Texans had treated him, according to Caucus Football.
Buffalo moves on at 6-1
The Bills, 6-1 on the season, return to action Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. Gardner-Johnson now becomes a free agent and could be picked up quickly by another team looking for defensive back depth, Caucus Football reported.
Earlier coverage: Bills Release C.J. Gardner-Johnson Over Inconsistent Play After One-Game Suspension
