Bills' Gardner-Johnson carted off at camp with leg injury
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- C.J. Gardner-Johnson was carted to the locker room after going down with a lower-body injury during an 11-on-11 period at Bills training camp Saturday at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, N.Y.
- Trainers examined Gardner-Johnson's lower right leg/foot area; he was supported off the field without putting much weight on the leg, then spent roughly 10 minutes in the medical tent before limping to a cart.
- GM Brandon Beane checked on Gardner-Johnson in the medical tent, while left tackle Dion Dawkins and other teammates came over to check on the safety, with Dawkins saying he could walk and that coaches told him Gardner-Johnson is 'all right.'
- Dawkins called Gardner-Johnson 'a dog' and added: 'if anybody's going to push through something the right way, it'd be C.J.'
- Gardner-Johnson, a free agent addition this offseason, was projected as a starting safety alongside third-year Cole Bishop and has served as a vocal leader for the secondary.
- Veteran safeties Geno Stone and Damar Hamlin filled in with the first-team defense in his absence; Hamlin said he 'said a quick prayer' and expressed confidence Gardner-Johnson would be OK.
- The Bills had no update on Gardner-Johnson's status after practice, leaving his availability for the preseason unclear.
Why it matters: Gardner-Johnson is a projected Week 1 starting safety for a Bills team with Super Bowl aspirations, so any extended absence would force Geno Stone and Damar Hamlin — both recent additions — into a larger role. The lack of a post-practice update from Buffalo means his availability for the start of the preseason remains uncertain as the team ramps toward the regular season.
