Overview
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson spat in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers late in the first half on Sunday, was assessed an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty and was ejected from the Week 6 game.
- The 14-yard penalty moved the Raiders closer to the goal and helped kicker Matt Gay convert a 27-yard field goal to tie the score at halftime.
- Gardner-Johnson apologized to teammates after the game and Bills coach Joe Brady said the incident would be addressed while on-air commentators and analysts sharply criticized the gesture as disrespectful.
- The NFL officiating department reviewed the ejection during the game and the league office is expected to consider further discipline; Gardner-Johnson said he expects a fine or other punishment.
- The episode adds to a documented pattern of past fines and a December 2024 ejection for Gardner-Johnson and drew a social-media allegation by Kyle Juszczyk that the player spat at him previously, raising questions about team discipline and roster impact if the league issues a suspension.