Free safety. Strong safety. Nickel cornerback.
A true jack-of-all-trades.
These are all words that can be used to describe the Buffalo Bills’ newest defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
A more fitting term, however, might simply be football player.
Or — better yet — just call him a DAWG . . . that’s what everyone else who’s crossed paths with the seven-year veteran during his time in the league seems to refer to him as.
But, it’s true.
Although Gardner-Johnson was nearly Buffalo’s smallest free-agent signing to date this offseason in terms of build and stature — he’s technically listed as being heavier than fellow defensive backs Geno Stone and Dee Alford on the team’s official roster — the former University of Florida standout packs a tremendous punch when delivering hits to wide receivers who dare cross the middle of the field in front of him, and his 5-foot-11, 208-pound frame is filled to the brim with an exorbitant amount of attitude and playmaking ability.
So, when he makes a big hit or manages to steal the show with a game-altering interception, he’s going to let you hear about it . . . and that chatter’s not limited to just his opponent’s airwaves.
No.
His teammates will often get an earful too.
Gardner-Johnson, who has 370 total tackles, 55 pass deflections, 27 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits, 20 interceptions, and seven sacks in 71 starts across 87 career regular-season games, isn’t afraid to let his presence be known, not in the least.
It’s a part of who he is and what has made him such a polarizing figure in the NFL since entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 draft.
Like it or not, he is who he is — and you shouldn’t expect him to change just because he’s now with Buffalo.
Heck, it is a new era in Orchard Park, after all, under first-time head coach Joe Brady.
And, the mantra — be you with us — is what Brady likes to preach to his players.
“That’s what Coach Joe and all the coaching staff — really (all the) coaches (on) the defensive staff — really want me to do. Like, bring what I’ve actually learned, you know, over the years. My experience — bring some of that to the locker room on that side of the ball,” Gardner-Johnson said while speaking to the local media roughly two weeks ago back on March 13.
“Just having champions around, not necessarily being older guys, (but) having a champion around — that word champion really means something — so it gravitates (you) to people, you know? So, not just me, there’s other guys in that (locker) room that (have) won a championship. So, just bringing that experience in the room and when people ask, ‘How does it feel?’ We have that background to tell them and actually know what it takes to get to that level.”
Young players on Buffalo’s roster, or any player for that matter, would surely be wise to absorb any and all knowledge that they can from the feisty defensive back, even if only for the simple fact that Gardner-Johnson has found success at nearly every stop of his NFL journey along the way.
While some may often mistake his brashness for arrogance, there’s no denying the defender’s past triumphs, like when he led the league in interceptions in 2022 with a total of six, and the longtime veteran has been adamant throughout his professional tenure that his questioned antics only come from a place of good intentions.
He simply wants to win.
And, in his mind, there’s only one way to approach the game that he so passionately loves — with grit, tenacity, and a dash of flair.
He’s reached the pinnacle of the sport twice thus far in his career, managing to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in one of those instances with the Philadelphia Eagles following Super Bowl LIX at the conclusion of the 2024 season, and he wants to continue those winning ways while in Western New York, no matter how short or long his stay may be.
Despite surprisingly never having gone up against the player in his first seven years in the NFL, Gardner-Johnson knows exactly just what type of special talent the team has in Josh Allen, which was made very clear when he put out a post on X shortly after agreeing to terms with the Bills on March 12 that contained a GIF of the lovable quarterback sporting a diamond grill and a big smile on his face.
Over 1.6 million people have viewed it. No caption needed.
“So, actually I was looking for the people to jump through the table, the table one. But, it was like when I put Bills Mafia, the first thing that popped up was Josh Allen and grills. And, (a) coincidence, I’m in Houston and Johnny Dang is down the street,” the vibrant veteran chuckled as he answered a question in reference to the viral post while noting his proximity to Johnny Dang & Co., a high-end jeweler located in the Lone Star State.
“It fits him. It’s like, ‘What would Josh Allen look like with a real diamond grill?’ That’d be sick, right?”
Now, the defensive back can’t help but be the one who’s sporting a smile, especially after thinking of the possibilities to come this season.
He expects the offense to put up a lot of points, and for the defense to simply handle the rest.
Opponents beware.
“I think it’s going to bring another edge to this team. Like, we’ve got (a) two-headed monster that can really go at you, but in a way where we can make plays and affect the game (and) actually win the game,” the defensive back added over Zoom.
“Josh is phenomenal at what he (does). So, I just want to be a part of a team that has a fighting chance every Sunday.”
Slotted to likely play in an interchangeable role alongside former second-round pick Cole Bishop, Buffalo’s newest safety is excited with the prospects of what he and Bishop can do while operating in tandem within defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s system.
And, Gardner-Johnson sees plenty of similarities between his new teammate compared to other great players he’s had the pleasure of lining up with in the NFL, particularly ones like Reed Blankenship, Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, and Kevin Byard, who have all seemingly left a lasting impression on the former Florida Gator.
As far as he’s concerned, Bishop has a chance to be mentioned amongst the fellow stars in the league sooner rather than later, which was readily apparent following the now third-year safety’s showing on the field last season in his pursuit toward greatness for Buffalo.
And, at this stage of his career, Gardner-Johnson is only interested in surrounding himself with fellow larger-than-life players.
What’s that old adage?
Shoot for the moon and, even if you miss, you’re bound to land amongst the stars?
Yeah, Gardner-Johnson appears to be taking that saying quite literally heading into year eight.
Though, he doesn’t plan on missing.
Rather, in pursuit of another Super Bowl title, he plans on bringing a fiery, passionate style of play down in and down out, and he expects his new teammates to follow suit.
“(I bring) an ability to, you know, toe the line, but not cross it,” Gardner-Johnson said.
“I think people say, ‘Oh, he’s crossed the line plenty of times.’ But, over the course of my career, I have a good tendency of, like, you know, toeing the line and having my teammates to be able to toe it with me and really playing feisty, and going out there and understanding that you’ve got to play with that passion and that chip on your shoulder playing for the city.”
With that said, the 28-year-old’s plans for elevating Buffalo’s defense to greater heights next season are sure to be music to the ears of many in the fanbase, especially considering how volatile the unit has been in the past under former head coach Sean McDermott, particularly in the most inopportune moments of the postseason.
Admittedly . . . then again, maybe not . . . the unit has held the team back at times in seasons long gone.
But, no longer.
Although the Bills have been in contact with Gardner-Johnson at various moments in the past, the timing was never right.
So, when others want to try and paint a picture of the wily veteran as someone who would’ve never joined the team under McDermott’s previous regime, that’s not the case according to Gardner-Johnson.
In fact, the team apparently kept loose tabs on him in a “stay healthy, active, (and) be ready” type scenario before he eventually landed on his feet in Chicago last season, but the connection was never truly there . . . until now.
It’s well-known across the league that NFL contracts are often consummated due in large part to prior relationships amongst its constituents, and the one-time Saint now has ties to Buffalo that previously didn’t exist.
His former mentor in New Orleans, Craig Robertson, is now a defensive quality control coach with the Bills under Joe Brady and Jim Leonhard after being hired for the position back in February.
Robertson, a former linebacker who spent time with both the Cleveland Browns (2011-2015) and the New Orleans Saints (2016-2020) during his 10-year NFL career after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Texas, was teammates with Gardner-Johnson in 2019 and 2020 when the two shared the field for a total of 31 regular-season games and three postseason contests down in the bayous of Louisiana.
Furthermore, although he was handling things on the opposite side of the ball, Buffalo’s newest offensive coordinator, Pete Carmichael Jr., was also around the Bills’ latest addition to the secondary when he was down in New Orleans during an extended stay in The Big Easy from 2006 to 2023.
With that in mind, it’s clear to see that Robertson and Carmichael Jr. likely signed off on the move prior to a deal being struck.
“(Coach Robertson) — he was my vet. So, when I got the DM (from him), it was kind of like — I think I almost missed it, and I almost missed my shot (of) probably playing for Buffalo,” Gardner-Johnson jokingly said as he highlighted his many reasons for recently landing with the team.
“I called him (right back), you know, but luckily my agent was already on it . . . (and) all those guys have been watching me since New Orleans, you know, since I was a young player. They know me since Sean Payton drafted me. So, a lot of those coaches are familiar with my face and my game, and they’ve watched my tape. And, then the off the field stuff, we talked about it, and I feel like going to Buffalo and getting a formal meeting with everybody introducing themselves face to face was something (where we kind of) hit it off.”
For Gardner-Johnson, an opportunity to continue flourishing is all he’s really looking for moving forward.
He wasn’t a fan of bouncing from team to team last season — having spent time with Houston, Baltimore, and Chicago in a mere seven-month span — so having a chance to clear the air regarding his rocky 2025 campaign was important to the defensive back.
He’s not naive.
He’s heard all the rumors regarding this or that during his NFL tenure, but, ultimately, Gardner-Johnson knows what he brings to the table for a team, and he’s not interested in any hearsay from outside detractors.
He’s comfortable in his own skin and confident that, in the end, the lasting impact he has left on each of his previous teams has always been a positive one, no matter what some people want to say.
Now in a place where he truly feels like he’s wanted for the first time in a long time, the Cocoa, Florida, native is eager for what’s in store for the coming months in Orchard Park, and he’s not ruling out a more lengthy stay in his new surroundings should everything unfold how he envisions it going this fall.
First, though, it’s time to begin building that camaraderie that is so important to a championship-caliber defense.
“Really, just the coaching staff, like, they believe in us. Like, (Mecole Hardman) was telling me how, you know, he had talks with the people in the front office that, you know, (told him to) just stay the course. And, like, he’s still here, you know? So, seeing that he came in, what? Midseason last year? And, (now) he’s able to come back and come have a full season, that just gives guys like me (an) opportunity, like, relief. You know? It doesn’t discourage (you),” Gardner-Johnson said.
“It makes you actually want to be motivated to come in and help and really just focus on ball because that’s what’s in Buffalo — ball, ball, hockey, ball. So, it’s like, why not be in that environment like we’re in college again? So, really (just) gravitate to the guys and, like I said, April 7th when we go in for workouts — that’s when it starts.”
So, yes, while hockey is certainly on the minds of many at the current moment all across the country, and especially within the confines of the greater Western New York region, the beginning of offseason workouts in the coming weeks at One Bills Drive will be the latest reminder of just how quickly fans will be back fixated on the boys donning the blue and red this summer — regardless of how the season for the guys in blue and gold ultimately ends (good luck, Sabres!).
With that said, Gardner-Johnson is ready for anything.
For the most part, he’ll let his play do the talking this season . . . but, don’t you dare try and put a muzzle on him.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and this DAWG’s gotta’ eat.
Editor’s babble: My goodness, what a great article on a player I can’t wait to watch with Cole Bishop. Many thanks to John Green for his terrific contributions to our blog. You can also find John on X @JGreen_PRsports.
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