PITTSFORD — C.J. Gardner-Johnson has made a lot of noise in his first few months with the Buffalo Bills . But he made St. John Fisher's Polisseni Track and Field Complex go silent.
But Bills fans can take a breath.
After fearing he tore his right Achilles tendon, ESPN was first to report Gardner-Johnson was diagnosed with a lower calf strain.
The safety hit the ground during an 11-on-11 session Saturday. He remained on his knees, face hovering over the grass as he sporadically reached in the area of his right Achilles tendon.
Eventually trainers helped Gardner-Johnson to his feet and he bounced slightly to test his feet. Gardner-Johnson walked slowly off the field with his arms draped around the shoulders of trainers, but the limp in his gate lessened the closer he got to the sideline.
Gardner-Johnson then spent 5-10 minutes in the medical tent, which included a visit from Bills general manager Brandon Beane. He then walked to a cart and was taken to the locker room.
After practice, left tackle Dion Dawkins — who stood next to Gardner-Johnson while he was evaluated on the field — claimed Bills coaches said Gardner-Johnson didn't suffer a torn Achilles. Beane said he didn't know if there was an official diagnosis.
The Bills avoided a scare with one of their starting safeties. But if they didn't, the Bills prepared for such a scenario.
Along with Gardner-Johnson, the Bills signed veteran Geno Stone , re-signed Damar Hamlin , drafted Jalon Kilgore in the fifth round and 2024 fifth-round pick Jordan Hancock is still on the roster.
If there is an injury to Gardner-Johnson or Cole Bishop in the future, the logical starter is Stone, who has played 85 games with 53 starts over six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals . His 13 interceptions the past three seasons is among the NFL's leaders.
Stone is also learning a new defensive scheme for the fourth consecutive season, and he's figured all the other ones out. The question, though, is why the 27-year-old didn't have a bigger free agent market.
After his contract with the Bengals expired, Stone signed a one-year, $1.402 million contract with the Bills. The answer is tackling. His 41 missed tackles over the last two seasons is the NFL's most and his 26 from last year are the most in a season since Pro Football Reference began tracking the statistic in 2018.
Still, there's a chip on Stone's shoulder.
"I kind of knew what my situation was, but I'm not going to let that get to me," Stone told GNN Sports after practice Saturday. "... The numbers I showed, I'm just trying to prove my value in this league. And at the end of the day, as long as I got a job, as long as I'm able to provide for a team — no matter what it is — that's what I'm thankful for. … I'm with ( Josh Allen ) now. I'm trying to get him and this organization a Super Bowl."
Even without Gardner-Johnson, competition is fierce. Hamlin has 27 career starts and is two seasons removed from being a full-time starter for the Bills despite losing it to Bishop last year.
Hancock has been cross-polinating at safety and nickelback during the first three practices and he showed some promise in limited action last season. Kilgore, meanwhile, is the wild-card.
The South Carolina rookie was an afterthought to start when camp began, but he's been visible and has been a problem for Buffalo's backup quarterbacks. Kilgore has three interceptions and six pass break-ups already, but he hasn't played with the first-team defense, nor against the first-team offense.
And when Gardner-Johnson went down, it was Stone who was inserted with the top defense Saturday.
"I compete no matter who's out there, no matter if I'm a starter or not. I'm going to go out there and compete," Stone said. "My main thing is to get playing time and they had a plan for me when I first got here. I'm just going to stick to that plan."
• Linebacker Terrel Bernard participated in first-team reps during 11-on-11 drills next to rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr. More notable, Bernard spent some time playing weakside linebacker and Elarms-Orr was the middle linebacker. There are few hulking linebackers left in the NFL, but the lighter ones — like Matt Milano — still play off the ball. If the Bills keep him there, it could limit his wear and tear and unlock more of his playmaking skills.
• Linebackers Dorian Williams (knee) and Michael Hoecht (Achilles) did not participate in 11-on-11 drills.
• The Bills are off Sunday. They return to practice at 8:30 a.m. Monday, which is the first day they wear full pads.
