Bills' C.J. Gardner-Johnson suspended one game for spitting at Raiders' Brock Bowers

The NFL moved swiftly to discipline Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson for his ejection Sunday, issuing a one-game suspension without pay after cameras caught him spitting at Raiders tight end Brock Bowers during Buffalo's 33-30 win in Las Vegas.

The league's full release cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which prohibits "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship." The suspension was the expected next step after the incident — the league office has made clear in the past year that it will not tolerate spitting on the field, and the ejection Sunday all but guaranteed a discipline review.

Gardner-Johnson's suspension begins Monday, October 26. He will be eligible to return to the active roster Monday, November 2, which means he would miss Buffalo's Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Under the collective bargaining agreement, Gardner-Johnson may appeal the suspension; any appeal would be heard by one of four jointly appointed hearing officers: Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera, or James Thrash.

The Bills completed a successful West Coast swing with back-to-back wins over the Rams and Raiders, but the Gardner-Johnson incident, combined with the season-ending injury to wide receiver DJ Moore, leaves the defense navigating some turbulence as they approach their Week 7 bye.