The dismissal of safety CJ Gardner-Johnson for spitting on an opponent raises an interesting question, as it relates to additional discipline to be imposed by the league office.
Last year, the NFL adopted a new approach to spitting. Now it results in a one-game suspension, sort of.
It started when Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play from scrimmage in the regular season opener. Because Carter’s ejection covered the entire game, his punishment — a one-game check fine — simulated a suspension.
Later in the season, Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase spit on Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Officials didn’t see it, so Chase wasn’t ejected. Instead, he was suspended for the next game.
For Gardner-Johnson, the ejection caused him to miss half of the Week 6 game against the Raiders. Will he be suspended for another full game? Will the league institute an NCAA-style targeting penalty that keeps him out for the first half of the Bills’ next game?
Because Buffalo has a Week 7 bye, the clock isn’t ticking as hard as it usually would. However, the league has a decision to make given the new precedent that was set in 2025, when the punishment for spitting was changed from a fine to a suspension. And Gardner-Johnson represents the first example of a player missing roughly half a game after being ejected.