Bills Release C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Buffalo safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson allowed an 83.5 passer rating against him in six games this season before the Bills released him on Tuesday.

The team ended the 28-year-old's one-year, $6 million contract following a brief tenure in Buffalo. His time with the squad was marked by a recent suspension and erratic performances in the secondary.

Gardner-Johnson joined the Bills in March. He spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the New Orleans Saints after entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2019. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the summer of 2022. Since then, he has played for the Lions, Texans, Ravens, and Bears before arriving in Buffalo this offseason.

The release comes shortly after he returned from a one-game suspension. NFL on CBS cameras captured him spitting toward Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum during a Week 6 matchup. The incident resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and an ejection. The league suspended him for the following week, which he served during Buffalo's victory over Baltimore last Sunday.

ESPN reports that team decision-makers were frustrated by specific plays that lacked clarity in coverage. The organization grew tired of moments that observers described as inexplicable. His coverage statistics included a 64.7 percent completion rate allowed by quarterbacks targeting him.

Damar Hamlin started at safety during the game against the Ravens while Gardner-Johnson was sidelined. Hamlin recorded five tackles and a pass defended in that win. He is now expected to hold the starting role for the remainder of the season.

Gardner-Johnson now searches for a new opportunity elsewhere as the Bills move forward with their reconfigured secondary.