Karma: Thing are Going Great for Efton Chism. While CJ Gardner-Johnson, Who Called Him 'a Practice Squad Player,' Appears to Be Out of Work.

You really have to hand it to Efton Chism. The more the Patriots have dealt with injuries at the top of their receiver depth chart, the more opportunities he's gotten, and he's making the most of them. Sunday in Miami he led all WRs with 53 total snaps, the second most of his career. He had 5 receptions on 5 targets, including that 4th down when the offense was struggling. 

After that performance, Chism is now tied with Mack Hollins with the 6th highest reception % in the league. His passer rating when targeted is 95.4, putting him in the Top 50 in the league. His Pro Football Focus receiving grade puts him in the Top 32. And among his Class of 2025 peers, those numbers each rank 5th highest. So it's safe to say he's exceeding all expectations for an undrafted second year wideout. 

Not that everyone has seen it that way. For instance, after this catch won the game in Buffalo:

... Bills cornerback CJ Gardner-Johnson was, to put it mildly, somewhat dismissive:

While the rest of the country, from Community Notes to Mike Vrabel to Rex Ryan to Hunter Henry to Christian Elliss dragged CJGJ, he stood his ground. And now it appears that shaky ground has collapsed under his feet:

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Ouch.

Giphy Images.

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That's got to hurt. When a team like Buffalo, who believes this is their year to finally make it through the AFC playoffs and get to a Super Bowl, decides they're better off with you than without you, that is tough. When they feel they can add to their chances by subtracting you, I just don't know how you recover from that. 

Though there is a way. There's always getting signed to someone's practice squad. Again. I mean, Chism doesn't know what that's like; he's never been. But by now Gardner-Johnson has plenty of experience. One more signing and he'll be an expert. And part of me is proposing that a world class ball buster like Vrabel should be the one to pick him up, just for the hilarious irony of it. Here's hoping he does. 

And while we're on the subject of proposals, Chism's life off the field is going just as well as it is on the field:

Proving Karma works both ways. Now let's see Drake Maye keep getting him the ball.