Mike Vrabel backs Efton Chism III after C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s postgame jab

The New England Patriots’ dramatic win over the Buffalo Bills is still making noise days later, but now it is the postgame comments drawing attention. On Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel used his weekly radio appearance to stand up for young receiver Efton Chism III after Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson tried to diminish Chism’s game-winning play.

On Sunday, Chism delivered the decisive moment in the Patriots’ 29-26 divisional victory, laying out for a one-handed catch in the end zone with 1:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. The highlight-reel grab capped a late New England surge and marked the biggest play of Chism’s brief NFL career.

After the loss, Gardner-Johnson downplayed the catch, referring to Chism as a practice squad player and suggesting the receiver could not reproduce that kind of play if the teams ran it back. He also implied the Patriots had not trusted their top option on that snap, pointing out that the ball did not go to what he viewed as New England’s best receiver.

Despite that description, Chism has not been a practice squad call-up. He has been on the Patriots’ 53-man roster since he joined the club as an undrafted free agent in 2025, sticking with the team after an impressive first preseason and working his way into a rotational role.

Vrabel turns criticism back on Gardner-Johnson

Vrabel was asked about Gardner-Johnson’s comments during his segment on Boston station WEEI and chose to answer with a pointed reminder of the Bills defender’s own path around the league. The coach remarked that a player who has bounced between multiple teams should be familiar with the realities of roster turnover, a clear nod to Gardner-Johnson’s journeyman résumé that has included stints on practice squads in Chicago and Baltimore.

For the moment, New England holds the upper hand, both on the scoreboard and in the war of words. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Week 13, giving Chism a chance to show he can make more big plays against Buffalo’s secondary and to extend what could be a budding rivalry with Gardner-Johnson.

From FCS standout to late-game hero in New England

Chism is in his second NFL season after a prolific college career at Eastern Washington, where he broke Cooper Kupp’s school record for single-season receptions and earned first-team FCS All-American honours as a senior. Several NFL clubs reportedly pursued him as an undrafted free agent, but the Patriots secured his signature and chose to keep him on the active roster rather than stashing him on the practice squad.

His rookie year in 2025 featured only limited action, though he flashed late in the season by collecting his first two career catches in Week 17. This year, with No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown sidelined by a high ankle sprain, Chism has been active in each of New England’s last three games and has made one start. He has four receptions for 41 yards so far in 2026, plus the dramatic touchdown that beat Buffalo.

Whether the exchange with Gardner-Johnson fades or fuels the rivalry, the sequence underscores how quickly an unheralded receiver can become central to a divisional storyline. If Chism continues to earn snaps and targets, Sunday’s catch may prove to be less of a one-off highlight and more of a launching point for a larger role in the Patriots’ offence.