CJ Gardner-Johnson Calls Out Texans’ ‘Lies’ Ahead of Bills-Houston Week 1 Clash
The Buffalo Bills’ training camp has had its share of drama this summer, including a fight between teammates in Rochester. Now safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has added a new subplot: unfinished business with his old team.
Gardner-Johnson missed a few days of practice this week after going down with an injury — later reported as a calf strain, according to WGR Sports Radio 550. He was back at full participation on Thursday. And when Bills reporter Sal Capaccio asked him about facing his former team, the Houston Texans, in Week 1, Gardner-Johnson didn’t hold back.
After practice today #Bills safety Cj Gardner-Johnson was asked by @SalSports about his feelings playing the Texans in week 1 of the season
CJGJ answered and then explained his side of the story regarding Houston releasing him just 3 games into the 2025 season@agetzenberg also… pic.twitter.com/NbiTvsxFNk
— Dom Tibbetts (@DomTibbettsTV) August 6, 2026
He went further, disputing the reason the Texans gave for releasing him. “They released me because I wasn’t ‘gelling with the team’ and I ‘didn’t fit well,'” Gardner-Johnson said, according to Yahoo Sports. “Why hasn’t the coach spoke up about it?”
Houston released Gardner-Johnson just three games into the 2025 season, a move Sports Illustrated described at the time as catching outsiders off guard. Reports at the time pointed to friction with head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive scheme and dissatisfaction with his role. Gardner-Johnson has pushed back on that framing before. Speaking with The Athletic’s Tim Graham, he pointed instead to a specific camp incident, telling reporters, “If y’all going to cut me, cut me,” according to a separate Yahoo Sports report — pushing back on suggestions that he wasn’t a fit in the locker room.
Gardner-Johnson signed with the Ravens’ practice squad after his release, per Sports Illustrated, and eventually landed with Buffalo. He’s now the Bills’ presumptive starting safety heading into a season where the AFC could run through Highmark Stadium.
Why the Texans Matchup Carries Extra Weight
This isn’t just a former player with an axe to grind. Buffalo and Houston have built a genuine mini-rivalry over the past two seasons. It traces back to the 2024 offseason, when the Bills traded receiver Stefon Diggs to Houston. The Texans won the ensuing 2024 matchup despite Buffalo storming back from a 17-point deficit.
The 2025 meeting was even more dramatic. Josh Allen was sacked eight times on a national Thursday night stage, yet Buffalo still had the ball with a chance to win. A wild hook-and-lateral kept the Bills’ hopes alive before the drive ultimately came up short.
Now the two teams will open the 2026 season against each other. According to the NFL’s official 2026 schedule, the Bills travel to Houston to face the Texans in Week 1 on Sunday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET on CBS — the first time these franchises have met in a season opener since 2005, per the Texans’ official release.
| Season | Result | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Texans win | Bills erase 17-point deficit, fall short |
| 2025 | Texans win | Allen sacked 8 times; hook-and-lateral keeps Bills alive late |
| 2026 (Week 1) | TBD | Season opener in Houston, Sept. 13 |
For Gardner-Johnson, that date now doubles as a personal statement game. He’s made clear he doesn’t buy the “didn’t fit” explanation for his exit, and Buffalo’s defense will want him locked in against an offense that’s given the Bills fits in each of the last two meetings. Whether his comments translate into any measurable edge on the field is a different question — but the storyline heading into September just got a lot more interesting.
