NFL suspends Bills safety Gardner-Johnson for 1 game for spitting at Raiders

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The NFL on Monday suspended Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardiner-Johnson for one game without pay for spitting in the direction of Las Vegas Raiders players on the field during a game a day earlier.

Gardiner-Johnson was ejected late in the second quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct following an exchange with a group of Raiders players, including tight end Brock Bowers.

In issuing the suspension, the league cited its rule applying to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

With Buffalo (5-1) entering its bye week, Gardiner-Johnson’s suspension will begin on Oct. 26 and run through Nov. 2, a day after the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens. The player has the right to appeal the suspension.

Gardner-Johnson apologized to his teammates immediately following Buffalo’s 33-30 win, and has since posted a note on social media apologizing to fans.

“I owe my teammates an apology and to be a man about it,” Gardner-Johnson said following the game.

“You got to understand that as a grown man you can’t be doing (stuff) like that in a game,” he added. “As a vet, I’ll be better. I’ll take my consequences as it is, handle it like a man and move on.”

The 28-year-old won a Super Bowl with the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles and is on his sixth team in eight seasons, and signed a one-year contract with Buffalo in March.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here