How Much Salary Cap Space Did Bills Waste With Failed CJ Gardner-Johnson Experiment?

It's not debilitating by any means, but the Buffalo Bills will still be paying for their failed Chauncey Gardner-Johnson experiment next year.

Making the situation somewhat palatable, it was always known to be a low-risk move with a potentially high reward.

As it turns out, however, there was zero reward, only multiple cringe moments beginning with a locker room livestream during training camp and ending with a spitting incident with a lot of underwhelming play in between.

CJ Gardner-Johnson — Oct 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a catch for a touchdown as Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) defends | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bills signed Gardner-Johnson to a one-year contract reportedly worth $3.5 million. According to Spotrac, the combustible safety earned $3 million in guaranteed money.

As a result of his one-game suspension, and subsequent release, Spotrac reports that Gardner-Johnson forfeits $384,166 in 2026 salary and game active bonuses.

When it comes to the dead cap hit, the Bills will absorb a $2.3 million charge this season for sending the veteran safety packing. Additionally, they'll have $1 million less cap space in 2027 due to lingering dead money.

While $1 million of dead money is a minimal percentage of a team's allotted spending, mistakes like these can prove costly when compounded over time, and the Bills' current salary cap status perfectly illustrates that issue.

CJ Gardner-Johnson another blemish on Brandon Beane's free agent record

The Bills signed defensive end Joey Bosa and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to one-year contracts for the 2025 season.

While Bosa and Ogunjobi are gone following disappointing one-year trials, both players are sucking up multimillion dollars of Bills' salary cap space in 2026. Buffalo has $7.2 million in dead cap space from Bosa while Ogunjobi costs $2.35 million against this year's spending limit.

Beane added free agent wide receiver Curtis Samuel prior to the 2024 season. The Bills finally cut bait at the end of the 2025 campaign, and he currently counts $3.45 million against the 2026 cap.

Dec 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scrambles against Buffalo Bills defensive ends Joey Bosa (97) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bills' current salary cap status

Per spotrac, the Bills have approximately $4 million in salary cap space heading into the NFL's November 10 trade deadline. That number ranks Buffalo 27th overall, meaning Beane doesn't have much room to maneuver compared to other general mangers.

A key factor in the spending constraints is the amount of dead money. The Bills have $51.3! million tied up in players who are no longer on the roster. That is 13th most amongst the league's 32 teams.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

Add us as a preferred source on Google