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Former Florida Gators safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has found his next NFL home. The 2019 fourth-round selection is signing back with the Buffalo Bills as part of the 2026 free-agency cycle. Johnson's pro career spans eight seasons, where he played for five franchises.
Gardner agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million, according to ESPN. The acquisition gives Buffalo experience in the defensive secondary and is the third outside defensive free agent signing by the Bills this week, joining linebacker Bradley Chubb and cornerback Dee Alford. This retooling comes as the franchise transitions to a new defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard.
His most productive seasons came with Philadelphia, where he led the league in interceptions in 2022. The 5-foot-11-inch, 210-pound Johnson tallied six interceptions on two separate occasions with the Eagles. During this stretch, Johnson was a key piece in the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2024-25.The 27-year-old safety entered the league as a fourth-round selection of the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 draft. Johnson played three seasons at the Swamp, where he became one of Florida's most spirited defenders. He earned the 2017 Outback Bowl MVP after recording a pair of interceptions — one he returned for a pick-six in the Gators' win over Iowa.
Johnson is coming off of an eventful year that saw him play for the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears all in the same season. His most meaningful snaps came in the Windy City, where he recorded 51 tackles, two interceptions and four pass deflections.
The Cocoa native is likely to compete for a starting role at the start of camp as the Bills have not re-signed any of their outgoing free agents in the secondary.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Former Florida Gators star C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining Bills
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Gardner agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million, according to ESPN. The acquisition gives Buffalo experience in the defensive secondary and is the third outside defensive free agent signing by the Bills this week, joining linebacker Bradley Chubb and cornerback Dee Alford. This retooling comes as the franchise transitions to a new defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard.
His most productive seasons came with Philadelphia, where he led the league in interceptions in 2022. The 5-foot-11-inch, 210-pound Johnson tallied six interceptions on two separate occasions with the Eagles. During this stretch, Johnson was a key piece in the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2024-25.The 27-year-old safety entered the league as a fourth-round selection of the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 draft. Johnson played three seasons at the Swamp, where he became one of Florida's most spirited defenders. He earned the 2017 Outback Bowl MVP after recording a pair of interceptions — one he returned for a pick-six in the Gators' win over Iowa.
Johnson is coming off of an eventful year that saw him play for the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears all in the same season. His most meaningful snaps came in the Windy City, where he recorded 51 tackles, two interceptions and four pass deflections.
The Cocoa native is likely to compete for a starting role at the start of camp as the Bills have not re-signed any of their outgoing free agents in the secondary.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Former Florida Gators star C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining Bills
Continue reading...
