The NFL has upheld its two-game suspension of Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims, the league announced Wednesday.
Wims was suspended Monday for two games for punching C.J. Gardner-Johnson, shortly after the New Orleans Saints safety denied instigating the incident in Sunday’s game. Wims appealed the suspension.
The league said that hearing officer James Thrash “affirmed” the two-game suspension, which was for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Wims will be eligible to return to the active roster Nov. 17, following the Bears’ game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Gardner-Johnson on Monday disputed an NFL Network report that said Wims told Bears officials he spit on him prior to the punch that got Wims ejected from Sunday’s game.
Although cameras captured Gardner-Johnson ripping out Wims’ mouthpiece and jabbing a finger in the face of fellow Bears receiver Anthony Miller on previous plays, Gardner-Johnson insisted Monday that “I’m innocent.”
“It ain’t got nothing to do with me. If he’s acting out, that’s on him,” Gardner-Johnson said. “It wasn’t no incident. We won the game. I mean, everybody, it’s a lot of he said, he said. Ain’t nothing happened. Nobody got spit on.
“Shouldn’t be nowhere near the field of play when the game’s going on. So I ain’t answering no more questions about that.”
Bears coach Matt Nagy, who called the punch “unacceptable” Sunday after the game, told reporters he has since talked to Wims and that the wide receiver is apologetic for what happened.
“I did talk to Javon today,” Nagy said on a Monday video call. “Out of respect, I’m going to keep that between us and internally, but we did talk to him, and regardless of what went on, he was apologetic and knows that no matter what, you can’t do what he did.”
ESPN’s Mike Triplett contributed to this report.
