Ventre's Views: NFL Suspension Not Enough for CJ Gardner-Johnson, Bills Must Do More

The Buffalo Bills will be without starting safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson when they come off their bye week to host the Baltimore Ravens on November 1.

In the wake of his repulsive on-field spitting incident, the NFL has suspended Gardner-Johnson for one game without pay "for an act of unsportsmanlike conduct."

The league specified "Gardner-Johnson’s suspension begins on Monday, October 26," and "he will be eligible to return to the Bills’ active roster on Monday, November 2."

When he becomes eligible to return, however, Buffalo should not welcome him back. It's time to deactivate his keycard at One Bills Drive. Simply put, his character issues and history of selfish behavior outweigh any potential he has on the field.

CJ Gardner-Johnson — Sep 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) reacts in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"That's [spitting incident] not what we're about," said Bills' rookie head coach Joe Brady.

If Brady means that, and truly cares about upholding a championship standard in Orchard Park, then Gardner-Johnson would have been gone when the Bills touched down at Buffalo Niagara International Airport early Monday morning.

Fool me once, shame on you

Unfortunately, it sounds like Brady is willing to get fooled again.

"CJ's a member of the Buffalo Bills. We brought him here for a reason. We know that, he knows that he has to play better. He knows he has to be better for this team," said Brady on Monday afternoon as word of the suspension went public.

The real problem is it's not the first time Gardner-Johnson has acted selfishly and inappropriately.

In training camp, he decided to live stream on social media from the locker room. Not only was it tasteless, it crosses a boundary. The locker room should be treated as a sacred place where privacy is respected.

After the Week 4 loss to the New England Patriots, he verbally took an unnecessary, classless shot at wide receiver Efton Chism, who caught a key touchdown.

During the Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Gardner-Johnson committed an unnecessary roughness penalty that resulted in an automatic first down on a 2nd-and-16 incompletion. He was also fined for a Week 2 hip drop tackle on Detroit Lions' running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

Performance no better than his behavior

While he's already created multiple distractions, Gardner-Johnson has not performed sufficiently in his starting role. He has accounted for an 18.8 missed tackle percentage through six games.

Prior to being ejected, Gardner-Johnson missed two tackles on Raiders' tight end Michael Mayer, who moved the chains as a result.

Outside of a key interception against the Los Angeles Chargers, Gardner-Johnson has been far from impressive. He's allowed 13.8 yards per pass attempt when targeted.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson needs to go before he costs Bills again

Sure he brings an edge, but he also wears out his welcome early and often. There's no overlooking the fact that Gardner-Johnson's been forced to change teams six times over five seasons.

When playing up to his potential, he can help a defense in multiple ways, but other teams have determined any on-field contributions aren't enough to outweigh his patented moronic behavior.

Gardner-Johnson brings too much nonsense and too many distractions, especially for a team expected to win it all. It's bad enough the Bills' defense is overmatched on a weekly basis. They don't need an average player taking attention away from the main goal.

"He's a punk. That's really what he is," said former Bills' head coach Rex Ryan on ESPN. "The Buffalo Bills don't need you. Guess what? No team in the league needs you. It's an absolute honor to play in this league."

"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

Ryan is right.

As undermanned as they may be in the defensive backfield, the Bills don't need Gardner-Johnson, and they certainly don't need the risk he brings. The last thing Buffalo needs is their ticking time bomb of a safety to commit a selfish, boneheaded penalty in an elimination game come January.

It's okay to admit that the Gardner-Johnson experiment didn't work. Now, move on before it's too late.

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