Butch Dill/Associated Press
New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson responded in an Instagram story to the pair of punches he received from Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims in Sunday’s 26-23 overtime victory.
Gardner-Johnson wrote that Wims “punch like a female” and took a “cheap shot.”
What precipitated Wims’ actions remains unclear.
After a play in the third quarter, he went out of his way to approach Gardner-Johnson. He appeared to make a motion like he was snatching at Gardner-Johnson’s chain before punching him in the helmet with his right hand. Wims waited a moment before throwing another punch, which sparked a brief scuffle.
Referees ejected Wims, while Gardner-Johnson escaped any punishment.
Wims will almost certainly face a fine and could miss time. Leonard Fournette received a one-game ban when he threw a punch at Shaq Lawson in 2018, though Jalen Ramsey only drew a fine when he and Golden Tate had a physical altercation earlier this season.
Gardner-Johnson might himself be the subject of scrutiny by making a sexist remark toward Wims.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. apologized in January when he told reporters after a game that then-Memphis Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder had “a lot of female tendencies on the court.”
