Gardner-Johnson blames Texans cut on GM’s friend

Veteran NFL safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has publicly attributed his abrupt release from the Houston Texans last season to a confrontation with a friend of the team's general manager, offering a starkly different explanation from the performance-related reasons cited at the time. Now with the Buffalo Bills, Gardner-Johnson detailed the incident in an interview, claiming it occurred during the team's training camp stay at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

Gardner-Johnson said an individual he described as a close friend of Texans general manager Nick Caserio, but not a formal member of the organization, called him a derogatory name. He acknowledged becoming upset during the exchange and believes the individual later spoke with Caserio, which he contends directly led to his release on September 23, 2025. "That's how I got cut in Houston," Gardner-Johnson said. "One person that's not technically a part of the organization called me a B-word at Greenbrier. I get out my body, he says something to the GM, and the next thing I'm cut."

The Texans acquired Gardner-Johnson from the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2025. He started the first three games of the regular season before being...