Vrabel fires back at Gardner-Johnson over Chism diss — SkimNews
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- Efton Chism III caught a diving one-handed touchdown with 1:50 remaining to seal the Patriots' 29-26 upset of the division-rival Bills on Sunday, giving New England its winning score after a late rally.
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson dismissed the play postgame, calling Chism a 'practice squad player' who 'made a hell of a catch' and adding 'probably won't hear from him again... he probably won't make it again.'
- Gardner-Johnson also claimed the Patriots 'didn't do s--- better than us,' conceded 'they won the game, whatever,' and warned the teams meet again in Week 13 in New England.
- Chism joined New England as an undrafted free agent in 2025, has never been on the practice squad, and has seven career catches — including two TDs — across 11 regular-season games.
- Mike Vrabel shot back at Gardner-Johnson on WEEI: 'For a guy that has been on eight teams in four years, I mean, I guess he knows the drill,' while praising Chism as 'very well respected' and saying 'nobody logs more miles or yards... than [Chism].'
- The Patriots improved to 2-2 with the win while the Bills dropped to 3-1, despite Buffalo entering as favorites in the AFC East matchup.
Why it matters: Vrabel's response turned a one-game hot take into a personal shot at Gardner-Johnson's journeyman career — five teams in two years per Vrabel's count — giving Chism genuine bulletin-board material and a built-in narrative for the Week 13 rematch in New England.
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