The Buffalo Bills have been dealing with injuries throughout the season, which has led to multiple free agency additions.
As they prepare for a Week 13 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, they're apparently looking for help again. This time, Buffalo wants to add some firepower to their defensive line with players such as Michael Hoecht and Landon Jackson out injured.
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Their search may have led them to a familiar face, as Shaq Lawson revealed on Instagram that he's currently in Buffalo. If the Bills really are kicking the tires on another former player, Joe Marino isn’t impressed. He called out the team’s approach, saying he’s tired of seeing them look only at ex-Bills, with a few former Carolina Panthers sprinkled in.
Are these guys allowed to bring in anyone who wasn’t on the team like 5 years ago or an ex Carolina Panther? This is getting old https://t.co/LEdfnHQFwr
— Joe Marino (@JoeMarinoBUF) November 24, 2025
Lawson meets the criteria for both as he spent six seasons with the Bills, on two separate stints, and played for the Panthers in 2024.
A first-round pick in 2016, Lawson has appeared in 81 games for Buffalo with 24 starts. He has 152 tackles and 21 sacks in that span. He never turned into the elite defender they hoped he would become, but Lawson was a solid rotational defensive end who knows this staff well.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson reacts to making a stop to force a punt against the New York Giants.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson reacts to making a stop to force a punt against the New York Giants. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Buffalo has looked to players they know well throughout the year. To fill out their depth chart in the secondary, they brought back Tre'Davious White, Dane Jackson, and eventually, Jordan Poyer. Jackson didn't make the team, but White and Poyer have been key contributors.
The same is true for Shaq Thompson, a linebacker who spent time with Sean McDermott in Carolina.
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Offensively, they've had a similar philosophy. In need of help at receiver, general manager Brandon Beane didn't make a move at the NFL trade deadline, but they turned to Gabe Davis, who returned after leaving in free agency in 2024.
There's something to be said for signing players you're familiar with, but as Marino stated, it's getting somewhat redundant at this point.
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