Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson was ejected late in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Raiders. It appears Gardner-Johnson was ejected for spitting.
After the match, referee Shawn Smith explained the decision to pool reporter Case Keefer.
“We had two players struggling back and forth, then our the referee saw him spit on the opponent” Smith said.
The referee for Smith’s crew is Tra Blake.
Video appears to show Gardner-Johnson spit in the direction from Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, with the spit hitting either Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum’s hand or Bowers’ leg.
Regardless, Blake was there to see it.
“He saw him spit on the opponent,” Smith said, of Blake’s account of the situation. “So we don’t judge where he spits and this, that or the other. He spit on an opponent.”
The situation was very similar to the incident between Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter in Week 1 of the 2025 season. After Prescott spat on the ground before the first play from scrimmage, Carter spat on Prescott.
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