Former Bills' Head Coach Unloads on C.J. Gardner-Johnson for Spitting Incident

C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected during the Buffalo Bills' Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Near the end of the second quarter, Gardner-Johnson and Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers exchanged some words and Gardner-Johnson spit at the ground in the direction of Bowers.

The action happened right in front of an official, which led to Gardner-Johnson's disqualification from the game. Afterward, he offered a completely tone-deaf explanation in the locker room, claiming it "was nothing negative" from the play and said it was just being competitive. Even worse, the veteran safety refused to admit he actually spit at Bowers.

Late Sunday night, he offered a much better apology, but as Mike Moraitis of Bills On SI says, it was too little, too late. Gardner-Johnson also still refused to use the word spit, saying his "gesture" was inappropriate. Clearly, he doesn't want to take true accountability, and former Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan would surely agree.

Rex Ryan destroyed C.J. Gardner-Johnson on ESPN

Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan reacts to his team scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While appearing on ESPN's Get Up, Ryan unloaded on Gardner-Johnson, calling him a punk. Ryan added that playing in the NFL is a privilege and Gardner-Johnson would do well to understand that the Bills, nor any other team in the league, needs him.

"This guy, I mean, say what you want, he's a punk. I mean, that's really what he is. And, I mean, even as a practice player, I love the way he played. I really did. And then you find out about him and you're like, oh, God, nobody wants him. That's why they had six teams get rid of him. And this thing right here represents your football team. The Buffalo Bills don't need you. Guess what? No team in the league needs you," Ryan said.

"This guys is a punk. ... The Buffalo Bills don't need you!"

Rex Ryan sounds off on C.J. Gardner-Johnson. pic.twitter.com/2No91J4hai
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 19, 2026

"It's an absolute honor to play in this league. Quit being a punk. That's what, to me, that's what it is. And I like guys who have lead in their pencil. Everybody that plays on defense has lead in their pencil. But they don't have to be like this. This isn't a physical. You're not being physical. You're being a punk. That's it."

Gardner-Johnson joined the Bills this offseason and already didn't have the best reputation. Despite his obvious talent, he's now on his seventh team since being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. In 2025 alone, he spent time with three teams after being released by the Houston Texans after just three games. He was then signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad but released before playing a game. Gardner-Johnson finished the year with the Chicago Bears before signing a one-year deal in Buffalo this offseason.

At this point, there will be calls to move on from Gardner-Johnson, but at the very least, it seems impossible to picture him returning once that deal expires.

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