The NFL has suspended Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson for one game after he spat toward Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers during Sunday's game. The league announced the suspension on Monday following the Bills' 33-30 win and said Gardner-Johnson can appeal.
The suspension is due to begin on October 26, after the Bills' Week 7 bye. Gardner-Johnson will be able to rejoin the active roster on November 2, once the team has played the Baltimore Ravens on November 1.
The league said he violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, related to "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship." The spitting incident came late in the first half of Sunday's game. Gardner-Johnson was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualified after spitting in the direction of Bowers and Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum.
Referee Shawn Smith told a pool reporter after the game that umpire Tra Blake saw Gardner-Johnson spit toward Bowers. Bowers was asked about the incident and said, "Just talking a little bit and then... I don't know."
One day after saying he let his emotions get the best of him, Gardner-Johnson issued an apology on Monday. "There is no excuse for my actions, and I take full accountability," Gardner-Johnson said in a post on Instagram. "No matter how emotional or intense the competition gets, I have to hold myself to a higher standard. To my opponent, I sincerely apologize. We compete hard between those lines, but respect should always remain at the forefront."