- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson will serve a one-game suspension after hearing officer Jordy Nelson upheld the penalty Thursday, the league announced.
Gardner-Johnson was ejected shortly before halftime of Sunday's 33-30 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders for spitting at Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and center Tyler Linderbaum. He apologized to teammates after the game.
The Bills are on bye in Week 7 and will host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, which Gardner-Johnson must miss. Coach Joe Brady said the team will not release Gardner-Johnson and plans to return him as a starter in Week 9.
Gardner-Johnson said he "needed to be a better veteran moving forward." Brady indicated no additional team discipline will be imposed.
Teammate Sam Franklin Jr., the defensive back and special teams captain, also received a one-game suspension for spitting. Franklin denied the allegation in an Instagram Story on Wednesday and has appealed.
Source: ESPN (also reported by ProFootballTalk) - Thu Oct 22, 11:22 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).