The Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver room has been a revolving door all season, and that theme continues heading into Saturday’s divisional playoff clash against the Denver Broncos. With injuries piling up, Buffalo is once again reshuffling its pass-catching group - rolling out its 13th different wide receiver combination of the year.
This week’s updates bring some familiar faces back into the fold. Curtis Samuel has been activated from injured reserve and is set to suit up for the first time since mid-November, when an elbow injury sidelined him.
Samuel’s return adds a much-needed jolt of versatility to the offense. In six games this season, he’s logged seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, while also contributing on special teams with nine kickoff returns for 223 yards - a solid 24.8-yard average.
Joining him is Mecole Hardman Jr., who’s had one of the more winding paths of any player on the roster this year. Since November, Hardman has bounced between the practice squad, active roster, injured reserve, and even a brief release before being re-signed.
Despite the rollercoaster, he’s back in the mix for the postseason. He’s only seen action in two games for Buffalo - with no receptions on one target - but he did flash some juice with a 61-yard kickoff return in his debut.
With Samuel and Hardman back, the Bills now have five healthy receivers heading into Saturday: Khalil Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman, veteran Brandin Cooks, Samuel, and Hardman. It’s the first time this particular group will suit up together - yet another new look for a unit that’s struggled to find consistency, both in personnel and production.
To put the instability into perspective, Buffalo has only managed to repeat the same wide receiver group in back-to-back games three times all year. That’s been a tough hurdle for quarterback Josh Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady to navigate, especially as the team tries to build rhythm in the passing game.
The attrition has been relentless. In just the past few weeks, the Bills have lost three wideouts to injured reserve. Joshua Palmer is out with an ankle injury, while Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers both suffered torn ACLs in the wild-card win over Jacksonville - a brutal blow to a group already running thin.
Adding a twist to the matchup, former Bills receiver Elijah Moore - who played in nine of Buffalo’s first 11 games before being released - is now on the other sideline, having landed with the Broncos.
So here we are: a playoff game with a wide receiver corps that’s been stitched together week by week, injury by injury. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that this group - while new - brings a mix of speed, experience, and playmaking potential.
Shakir has emerged as a reliable option, Coleman continues to grow into his role, and Cooks brings veteran savvy. Now, with Samuel’s versatility and Hardman’s explosiveness added to the mix, the Bills are hoping this latest iteration is the one that clicks.
It’s been a season of adjustments for Buffalo’s offense. Saturday offers another test - and another chance for this ever-changing group to rise to the occasion.