Buffalo Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson has been suspended for one game without pay after spitting in the direction of Las Vegas Raiders players during Sunday's 33-30 win at Allegiant Stadium.
Gardner-Johnson was ejected late in the second quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct following an exchange with Raiders players, including tight end Brock Bowers. The NFL cited its rule against "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship" in issuing the suspension.
The suspension runs from October 26 through November 2, a day after the Bills (5-1) host the Baltimore Ravens following their bye week. Gardner-Johnson retains the right to appeal.
The 28-year-old acknowledged the infraction immediately after the game. "I owe my team-mates an apology and to be a man about it," Gardner-Johnson said. "You got to understand that as a grown man you can't be doing [stuff] like that in a game. As a vet, I'll be better. I'll take my consequences as it is, handle it like a man and move on."
He also apologized to fans on social media.
Bills head coach Joe Brady called the spitting act "inexcusable" and said he addressed it privately with the player. "It can't happen. That's not what we're about. That's not what the game of football is about, and he knows that," Brady said.
Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year contract with Buffalo in March after winning a Super Bowl with the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles. He carries a reputation as a trash-talker and has drawn penalties for illegal hits. Brady acknowledged the player's intensity while drawing a boundary. "I don't need a roster of everybody being the same person. Obviously, he crossed the line yesterday and that can't happen. It won't happen again. Personality-wise, I'm not afraid to have people who are going to try to toe the line in everything they do."
The 28-year-old is on his sixth team in eight seasons.