Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is set to join his fifth team in four seasons, signing with the Buffalo Bills in free agency.
"A chance to win with a good quarterback. Josh (Allen) is phenomenal," Gardner-Johnson said last week of why he chose Buffalo, via the team's official website. "[Be] a part of a team that has a fighting chance every Sunday, and I just have to [rebuild] and [find] my identity again … go out there [and] just be you playing football with guys that [have] been playing at a high caliber. Surrounding myself with superstars."
CJGJ won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, but hasn't found a stable home. After three years with the New Orleans Saints, the former fourth-rounder was shipped to Philly in 2022. He spent a year in Detroit before heading back to the Eagles in 2024. Last season, he played three games for the Houston Texans before being released. He signed in Chicago, where he started seven games and snagged two interceptions for an opportunistic Bears defense.
Gardner-Johnson noted that new Bills coach Joe Brady getting his feet wet under Sean Payton, who drafted the safety in New Orleans, gives all parties some familiarity.
"They know me, since Sean Payton when he drafted me ... (Brady) was familiar with my face and my game, and he watched my tape," Gardner-Johnson said when asked about his fit. "Going to Buffalo and getting a formal meeting with everybody, introducing themselves face to face, was something that hit it off."
The safety is a known smack-talker, getting under opponents' skin. He said it's just part of the game.
"I feel like defense needs the entertainment, too," Gardner-Johnson said. "Offense has all the accolades and the cameras, so the defense, give a little spark to it."
Under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, the Bills have dipped into the free-agent pool to add some known defenders in Gardner-Johnson, Bradley Chubb, Dee Alford and Geno Stone. Each has seen success in the NFL, but their best seasons may be in the past. The Bills are betting that together they can fill the void under Leonhard and, particularly in the secondary, provide some low-cost value.
