Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is in hot water, and not just because of the spitting incident on Sunday.
Of course, Gardner-Johnson got himself ejected from the Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after he was caught spitting at a Raiders player.
But Gardner-Johnson, who apologized to the team after the game, is also drawing ire because of the lackluster apology he offered when speaking to reporters.
While Gardner-Johnson did admit he has to "control my emotions" better, which is certainly correct, he said the incident "wasn't nothing egregious," a truly absurd statement.
Gardner-Johnson didn't just hurt his team in Week 6, he could hurt the team for its next game, also, as the NFL could very well decide to suspend him for the inexcusable act.
Gardner-Johnson offers another apology
Gardner-Johnson apparently saw the error in his ways after that, as he took to social media to offer a much better apology for his actions.
While he did not use the word "spit" or "spitting," Gardner-Johnson did call say the "gesture" was "inappropriate" and acknowledged how disrespectful it can be toward someone.
"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," Gardner-Johnson said.
"My passing 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," Gardner-Johnson adds. "The gesture I made toward my opponent was inappropriate, unnecessary, and not a reflection of the respect I have for him or this game.
"There is no excuse for my actions, and I take full accountability. No matter how emotional or intence the competition gets, I have to hold myself to a higher standard."
Too little, too late
It's pretty clear the Bills safety got the memo that his first attempt at an apology, or whatever that was in the locker room, simply was not good enough, hence the need for what he put down on social media on Sunday night.
The fact of the matter is, Gardner-Johnson already has a bad reputation around the NFL and we don't only base that on the fact that he has been with several different teams during his career.
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk spoke out after the spitting incident on Sunday and revealed he, too, has been spat on by Gardner-Johnson, so this isn't just a one-off. It's a pattern of behavior for the veteran safety.
"This is the least surprising thing ever. (C.J. Garder-Johnson) spit on me last year when we beat Chicago," Juszczyk wrote.
While we appreciate the attempt at a second apology, it's already too little, too late as far as we're concerned. The first apology told us everything we needed to know about the Bills' defensive back and if the team was planning on cutting him before, the second apology shouldn't change that.
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