Overview
- In Sunday’s 29-26 AFC East game, undrafted second-year receiver Efton Chism III made a diving, one-handed touchdown catch with 1:50 left to put the Patriots ahead and secure the win.
- Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson dismissed the play after the game, calling Chism a “practice squad player” and suggesting the catch was a fluke.
- Hours later on his weekly WEEI radio appearance, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel defended Chism’s work and mocked Gardner-Johnson’s team-tenure, prompting outlets to fact-check both players’ roster histories.
- Reporting confirmed Chism signed as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and has been on New England’s 53-man roster since then, while injuries to A.J. Brown and an in-game issue to Mack Hollins helped create the playing time that produced Chism’s opportunity.
- The exchange remains verbal for now and sets a storyline for the teams’ rematch in Week 13, with Chism’s breakout catch likely to affect his role and how both teams game-plan in future meetings.