Mike Vrabel fires back at Bills' C.J. Gardner-Johnson over Efton Chism comments

Efton Chism was an unlikely hero for the New England Patriots in their 29-26 statement win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

On the go-ahead, eight-play, 73-yard drive that gave the Patriots a 29-26 lead with 1:50 remaining, the second-year receiver caught two passes for 42 yards. The first was a 19-yard leaping grab over Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston to get the Patriots to Buffalo’s 28-yard line. The second was a one-handed, 23-yard touchdown catch on third-and-five that proved to be the game-winner.

Chism stepped up when given an increased opportunity after Mack Hollins left the game with a calf injury. His clutch plays earned praise from teammates, with Romeo Doubs calling the touchdown catch the “snag of the year.” Down the hall in the Buffalo locker room, however, Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t impressed.

“We’re not going to get into no bulletin-board material,” Gardner-Johnson said. “An elevated [from the practice squad] guy made a helluva catch. Probably won’t hear from him again, respectfully. I say that with a lot of confidence because it’s like [Drake Maye] didn’t put his confidence in his best player. If that’s what it was, he would have thrown it to [Romeo] Doubs or somebody. But they won the game, whatever. They ain’t do s— better than us. We’ve gotta play better,” he added. “And they can mark that. We’ll be back, see them again at the end of the year. So, they better have that same energy. They put up what? 20-something points? They barely scored. They struggled all game. A practice squad player made a hell of a play. That’s all I’m gonna tell you. If you do it again, he probably won’t make it again. Simple.”

Despite Gardner-Johnson’s characterization, Chism is on the Patriots’ 53-man roster and has never been on an NFL practice squad. Undrafted out of Eastern Washington, the 24-year-old made the team out of training camp in both 2025 and 2026.

When asked about Gardner-Johnson’s comments during his weekly appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel fired back by referencing the safety’s lengthy list of teams.

“For a guy that has been on eight teams in four years, I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said.

Originally a fourth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2019, Gardner-Johnson spent his first three seasons in New Orleans before moving on to six other teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles (2022 and 2024) and Detroit Lions (2023).

Last season, Gardner-Johnson bounced between three teams, playing three games for the Houston Texans and 10 for the Chicago Bears. Ironically, he also spent a week on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad before they released him.

Chism entered Sunday with just five career receptions and had played only 26 offensive snaps through the first three weeks. He was still getting on the field while Gardner-Johnson was preparing to face the Patriots.

Despite his limited opportunities, the Patriots continued to believe in him, and he rewarded that trust with two clutch catches in Sunday’s win.

“Nobody works harder. You love to see players take advantage of opportunities and help the team win,” Vrabel said. “He is very well respected. He practices. He is on the show team. He takes a million reps. Nobody logs more miles or yards or whatever we track than Chiz.”