Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was back on the practice field for the Bills on Thursday after missing a few days with a calf injury and continued good health will leave him on track to make his regular season debut with the team in Week 1.
That game will be against the Texans, which only adds to the importance for the veteran. Gardner-Johnson opened last season with the Texans, but was released after three games in the wake of a reported altercation with teammates in the wake of a 17-10 loss to the Jaguars in Week 3. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans didn’t go into details about the reason for the move and said only that he thought it was best for the team.
Gardner-Johnson said this offseason that he felt an issue with “the GM’s friend” during training camp set the wheels in motion on his departure and there was other discussion about him not fitting what the Texans wanted defensively, so it’s clear that his time with Houston was both brief and eventful. On Thursday, Gardner-Johnson said the experience has added to his anticipation for the season opener.
“It’s a good team. Not saying nothing on the front office or the staff, but the players . . . they are good,” Gardner-Johnson said, via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com. “All the bulls—t that came out, it was lies, but whatever. I just can’t wait to see ‘em. . . . Be adults about the business. We here, we grown men, we all got kids. A five-second phone call don’t justify nothing. And I feel like I need some respect, but I don’t care for it no more.”
Gardner-Johnson will have another one of his former teams on deck in Week 2 when the Lions visit Buffalo for the first game in the new Highmark Stadium. A pair of wins would make for a doubly enjoyable way to start his run in Buffalo.
