Mike Vrabel claps back at Bills safety for wild comments after Patriots' win
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel defended his player Efton Chism after Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson disparaged Chism as a 'practice squad player' following a Patriots victory. Vrabel highlighted Gardner-Johnson's own journeyman career in response to the comments.
Why it matters
This exchange highlights the competitive nature of professional sports and the role of media narratives in player-coach relationships.
Mike Vrabel had his players’ backs the Monday morning after the Patriots beat the Bills in Buffalo.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson made some derisive comments aimed at the Patriots after Sunday’s contest, specifically calling wide receiver Efton Chism a “practice squad player.”
Vrabel was asked about those on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.”
“For a guy that’s been on eight teams in four years? I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said.
Chism made the game-winning catch in Sunday’s 29-26 Patriots win.
That drew the ire of Gardner-Johnson, whose career has taken him from the Saints (2019-2021) to the Eagles (2022), Lions (2023), Eagles (2024), Texans (2025), Ravens (2025), Bears (2025) and Bills (2026).
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