Bills S C.J. Gardner-Johnson Diagnosed With Calf Strain

There was concern that Gardner-Johnson had torn his Achilles but the Bills seem to have avoided that worst-case scenario. 

Gardner-Johnson, 28, is a former fourth-round pick of the Saints from Florida back in 2019. He was entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract and was set to make a base salary of $2.54 million when the Saints traded him to the Eagles during the preseason. 

Gardner-Johnson was testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time and signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Lions. He was placed on injured reserve after just two games with Detroit.

He returned to the Eagles on a three-year, $27 million deal last March but was traded to Houston for G Kenyon Green. The Texans then released him after just a few games. 

From there, he signed with the Ravens’ practice squad but was released at his request just a week later.

He then signed a one-year contract with the Bears and played the rest of the season for them before agreeing to a one-year deal with the Bills at the start of the offseason.

In 2025, Gardner-Johnson appeared in 13 games for the Texans and Bears. He recorded 66 total tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and four passes defended.