During a game between the Bears and Saints, things got heated between Javon Wims and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. It started with Gardner-Johnson ripping Wims’ mouth guard off and chucking it onto the field. The officials missed it, and the bright orange guard sat untouched as players nearly stepped on it between plays. A Bears lineman eventually spotted it and casually tossed it off the field.
Several plays later, Wims came back into the game without a mouth guard and went straight for Gardner-Johnson. After the whistle, he slapped him in the helmet, then quickly backed off. When Gardner-Johnson didn’t react, Wims came back for another shot. Gardner didn’t retaliate, keeping his hands down and letting Wims throw another open-handed swing. That move got Wims ejected. His own teammates looked annoyed. One told him to leave, clearly embarrassed. Wims tried to play it off by clapping and flexing before tossing his gloves into the stands and exiting.
Gardner-Johnson walked away unbothered, having baited Wims into a meltdown without getting himself penalized. The Bears were already struggling, and losing a receiver over something that petty didn’t help. Gardner did what he always does—get under someone’s skin. Wims took the bait, and it cost him.