K.J. Hamler
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KJ Hamler is not projected to make the Buffalo Bills out of training camp this year.
Big things were predicted of K.J. Hamler when he entered the NFL as a member of the Denver Broncos just five years ago.
But Hamler has not played a regular-season NFL game since 2022, and he is being projected as a training-camp cut by the Buffalo Bills.
Hamler has just 42 catches for 620 yards and three touchdowns over his NFL career, all with the Broncos. But he has just 12 catches, in 10 games, for 239 yards since his rookie season.
The Bills signed him prior to their practice squad prior to the 2024 season — he missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn pectoral muscle — then signed him to a futures deal for the 2025 season.
But this could be Hamler’s last shot to resurrect his dormant NFL career.
Why Is K.J. Hamler Predicted To Be Cut By The Bills?
Aside from the fact he has not been on the field in three seasons, Hamler is locked into a fierce battle for one of Buffalo’s last roster spots.
As Marcus Mosher of Buffalowdown reports, the odds are slim for Hamler, due to the Bills’ penchant for keeping three tight ends.
“The Bills want to see a combination of veterans and young players battle for the final roster spots,” Mosher wrote. “Buffalo likes to carry at least three tight ends on the roster, so the odds of them carrying more than six receivers are slim.”
Mosher also referenced Hamler’s game-breaking speed, since he reportedly ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at Penn State. But according to Pro-Football Reference, Hamler has played just 16 special-teams snaps — three as a punt returner and two as a kick returner — and none since 2020.
“The receivers on the back end of the roster have to play on special teams in order to be active each week, but unfortunately, Hamler doesn’t have the size to hold up in that phase of the game,” Mosher wrote. “With so many other viable options on the roster, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Hamler makes the team this season.”
Who Will Be The Bills’ Wide Receivers in 2025?
Hamler may have a puncher’s chance of making the Bills roster, since their receiving corps has NFL experience but is lacking a superstar-caliber WR1.
Khalil Shakir had 76 catches for 800-plus yards. But Keon Coleman called his rookie season “trash,” and he is considered a top option, along with fellow journeymen Josh Palmer, Laviska Shenault, Elijah Moore and Curtis Samuel.
“We know that Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Josh Palmer will likely top the depth chart, but the rest of the unit is a bit of an unknown, and that is by design,” Mosher wrote. “The expectation is that Laviska Shenault, Elijah Moore, and Curtis Samuel will compete for the No. 4 and No. 5 spots on the roster, and that doesn’t leave much room for anyone else on the depth chart.”
The above-listed names do not inspire confidence, but luckily the Bills still have reigning MVP Josh Allen at quarterback, who has gotten the most out of Buffalo’s array of wideouts over his seven-season NFL tenure.