The Buffalo Bills addressed the wide receiver room in free agency, including acquiring a receiver with over 8,000 career receiving yards, while re-signing one, and parting ways with another. Buffalo acquired D.J. Moore from Chicago, re-signed Mecole Hardman Jr. to a reserve/future deal, and released Curtis Samuel. Highlighting another potential roster move the Bills could make is last offseason’s free-agent acquisition.
The Buffalo Bills have a big decision to make soon
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NFL Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer
Joshua Palmer has an additional $3 million set to be guaranteed on Sunday, and the Bills have until 3 p.m. CT on Saturday to decide whether to keep or cut him. He is coming off an injury-riddled first season in Buffalo, missing seven games, including the playoffs, with a lingering ankle injury, along with a knee injury, while recording 303 yards, the fewest receiving total of his career. Palmer is due a $9.66 million base salary, $4.84 million guaranteed, and $10.25 million in cash, while carrying a $11.75 million cap hit in 2026, per Over The Cap.
If the front office decides to cut him with a standard cut before Sunday, they would free $510,000 in cap space while taking on $11.24 million in dead cap. With a post-June 1 designation, they clear $5.31 million in cap space in June while incurring $6.44 million in dead cap in 2026 and $4.8 million in 2027.
The Bills’ WR clears first major contract hurdle
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Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
As of 4 p.m. CT, the Bills have not released Joshua Palmer, per the NFL transaction wire, with his additional $3 million guaranteed set to trigger on Sunday. Therefore, last offseason’s free-agent signing is expected to remain in Buffalo for the 2026 season, with his dead cap hit jumping to $14.24 million. The front office may still restructure Palmer’s contract by converting some of his base salary into a signing bonus for cap purposes.
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