Bills' Joe Brady Stops Just Short of Bizarre C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Cook Comparison

C.J. Gardner-Johnson committed one of the most inexusable acts a player can commit on a football field in Week 6 and now the Buffalo Bills defensive back is paying the price for it.

During the contest against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the veteran safety spat on a Raiders player, which led to him getting ejected from the game.

While Bills fans were ready to cut ties with Gardner-Johnson over the disgusting act, Buffalo is not on the same page and head coach Joe Brady made it clear he isn't going anywhere.

When explaining why the Bills are keeping Gardner-Johnson, Brady mentioned learning from mistakes and getting better, and he nearly compared what Gardner-Johnson did to the fumbling issues of running back James Cook before catching himself.

“CJ is a member of the Buffalo Bills. We brought him here for a reason," Brady said. "He knows that he has to play better, he knows he has to be better for this team. Just like everybody else, we have to learn from this stuff and we have to improve and find ways to get better as the season goes. No different than... it's different, right, (James Cook) fumbling."

The fact that Brady almost compared a guy spitting and getting ejected to a guy who has a fumbling problem is wild, but he at least managed to save himself from that blunder.

Gardner-Johnson's issue is in a class all by itself and shouldn't be compared to anything else any other player is going through.

The only comparison to be made is Gardner-Johnson hurt his team, but he made the choice to do that. Cook and other players who are struggling with something don't.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson punished

Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. — Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) celebrates after the game against the Los Angeles Rams | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While he won't pay the price with his job, Gardner-Johnson is going to be hit in the wallet and then some for his action.

The NFL announced on Monday that Gardner-Johnson has been suspended one game without pay, so he'll be out for the Week 8 contest against the Baltimore Ravens after the bye.

We'll see if Gardner-Johnson appeals, but he isn't going to win that because his spit heard 'round the world was clearly caught on video.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson's two apologies

After the game, Gardner-Johnson gave a lackluster apology and rightly caught plenty of flak for it, which led to him issuing another apology on social media that took much more accountability.

"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."

With Gardner-Johnson set to sit a game, we'll likely see a rotation with Damar Hamlin and Jalon Kilgore, with Hamlin probably seeing the majority of the snaps.

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