Published October 20, 2026 06:09 AM
The two players involved in spitting incidents during games were (and still are) star players. After Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected before the first play from scrimmage in Week 1 (which was later treated as a suspension) and Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended after completing a game in which the spit was missed, there was zero talk about the players being cut.
With safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson doing it on Sunday in Las Vegas, the question was asked on Monday whether the Bills will cut him after he missed half of a game after an ejection and all of the next game due to a suspension.
“Look, C.J.'s a member of the Buffalo Bills,” coach Joe Brady told reporters. “We brought him here for a reason, and we know that he knows that he has to play better. He knows he has to be better for this team, and, you know, just like everybody else, right, we’ve got to learn from this stuff, and we have to improve and find ways to get better as the season goes.”
Brady then started to compare Gardner-Johnson’s spitting to running back James Cook’s fumbling problem. Brady seemed to edit himself in real time.
“No different than — it’s different, right? — Jimbo fumbling,” Brady said. “You know, we have to continue to find ways to get better, and he knows that he has to be better, and, you know, it’s just an opportunity for him. Look, it’ll be an opportunity for someone else to, you know, play early the week and step up, but it is an opportunity for him to grow and be better as a better teammate and a better football player, you know, when this opportunity comes up again.”
Like Brady said, the Bills brought Gardner-Johnson to town “for a reason.” They wanted his edge and attitude. That comes with the full package of who he is. Sometimes, Gardner-Johnson will cross the line. (And, sometimes, a teammate may get a taste of it.)
It’s part of the total package. Brady made it clear on Monday that the Bills are willing to tolerate the less savory aspects in the name of getting the dynamic they want on their defense.