Buffalo Bills S C.J. Gardner-Johnson avoids serious injury on day 3 of training camp

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 28: C.J. Gardner-Johnson #35 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Buffalo Bills received encouraging news late on Saturday, August 1, with further tests revealing that safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered only a lower calf strain." ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, citing anonymous sources, was first to share the injury update on Gardner-Johnson.

Initial reports out of St. John Fisher College Saturday morning showed considerable concern, with several people calling attention the fact that the team's athletic trainers were looking closely at Gardner-Johnson's lower rear leg. When Gardner-Johnson was helped off the field and went to the medical tent only to then be seen hitching a cart ride to the locker room, murmurs of the word Achilles" began to surface.

It would turn out to be an honest bit of overreaction by many outside observers, with any season-ending fears all but put to bed by left tackle Dion Dawkins when speaking with reporters after practice. Prior to the latest report of a strained calf, Dawkins informed those gathered around him that he walked up to Gardner-Johnson asking: You alright? Take care of yourself - can you walk?' And he got up and he did his thing, he could put weight on his legs, so he can walk," adding he's alright."

Dawkins' comments are stone-cold reminder that injuries thrive in the violence of NFL football. It's warranted to have shown so much concern for Gardner-Johnson's health, especially when there's a chance that any number of other serious outcomes could have been diagnosed. We don't know the severity of the injury, but multiple medical outlets debrief that a Grade 1 strain to the area takes anywhere between one to three weeks to heal. A Grade 2 lower calf strain can take anywhere from four to eight weeks to fully heal.

Thankfully, this appears to be a minor setback for one of the Bills' biggest personalities, and someone who could play a serious role during the 2026 NFL season.