PFWA Pool Reporter Case Keefer Interview with Referee Shawn Smith
Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Question: What did you guys see on that play to disqualify Bills S C.J. Gardner-Johnson?
Smith: “We had two players jawing back and forth and then our umpire witnessed him spitting on the opponent.”
Question: It looked look like he may have been just spitting in the direction of someone else and it made contact. Is that the deciding factor in the situation, that it did hit an opponent or just what goes into that?
Smith: “He saw him spit on the opponent. So, we don’t go into the judgment of where he is spitting and this, that or the other. He spit on an opponent.”
Question: There was a lot of discussion after the play. What were you guys discussing in that moment?
Smith: “We were getting confirmation from New York on the disqualification.”