C.J. Gardner-Johnson: faces suspension, not fine, for spitting

THE FACT. Gardner-Johnson, Buffalo's safety, could be suspended rather than fined for spitting at a Raiders player in Sunday's Week 6 game, Mike Florio reported Monday morning for NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk. Florio wrote that a 2025 rule change made spitting a suspendable offense, and that the league is weighing a full-game ban against a penalty costing him the first half of Buffalo's next game, with the Bills' Week 7 bye giving the league extra time to decide. NFL.com reported he was ejected in the second quarter for the incident.

THE VERDICT. The bye is the detail that matters: any one-game ban lands on Buffalo's next game, not this week, and the lesser penalty costs him two quarters. IDP: hold him and plan for a possible absence rather than cutting a starting safety during a bye. Redraft: no impact in standard formats. Monitor the league's ruling before you set an IDP lineup coming out of the bye.