The Bills’ first 53-man roster is in place after cutdown day, locking in the group that will carry Buffalo into Week 1. What had been a months-long sorting process through training camp and preseason is now official, with the team trimming down to its initial roster and listing several players with designations attached.
At quarterback, Josh Allen and Kyle Allen made the cut. The backfield also includes Ray Davis, while the receiving group features DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman and Skyler Bell. Tyrell Shavers is on Reserve/PUP.
Tight end is set with Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes and Keleki Latu. Up front, the Bills kept Jude Bowry, Connor McGovern, Alec Anderson, O’Cyrus Torrence, Austin Corbett, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Ar'maj Reed-Adams and Tylan Grable.
On the defensive line, Buffalo has Ed Oliver, Deone Walker, Landon Jackson, T.J. Sanders, Greg Gaines and DeWayne Carter. Zane Durant is on injured reserve, and Phidarian Mathis is listed as suspended.
The linebacker room includes Bradley Chubb, Greg Rousseau, Michael Hoecht, Mike Danna, T.J. Parker, Javon Solomon, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Kaleb Elarms-Orr and Joe Andreessen.
In the secondary, the Bills kept Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Dee Alford, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock at defensive back. The safety group is C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Jalon Kilgore and Sam Franklin Jr.
Special teams is set with punter Tommy Doman, long snapper Reid Ferguson and kicker Tyler Bass. Cornerback Dorian Strong is listed as Reserve/Non-Football Injury.
In Other News...
Bills Sent An Early Roster Message With One Veteran Cut
The Bills got to their 53-man roster deadline with the kind of brisk, businesslike trim that usually says as much about the summer competition as it does about the players leaving. Buffalo made a series of cuts and reserve-list moves to get down to the limit, and the most eye-catching name among the departures was veteran safety Geno Stone.
Stone had arrived with a track record that suggested he would at least be part of the conversation on the back end, which is why his release stands out in a room where depth and versatility matter. The move also underscores how sharply the Bills are willing to draw the line as they sort out the final roster, with the next layer of decisions now centered on who fills those jobs and how quickly the secondary settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Cutdown Day Included One Roster Decision Fans Wont Ignore
Cutdown day brought the usual churn in Orchard Park, with the Bills trimming their roster to the initial 53 by releasing 21 players and shifting three others to reserve lists. Wide receiver Tyrell Shavers landed on Reserve/PUP, defensive lineman Zane Durant went to Injured Reserve and defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis was placed on the reserved/suspended list as Buffalo sorted through the final edges of the roster ahead of the regular season.
Among the names that stood out, cornerback Kani Walker was let go even after turning in a strong preseason. For a Bills team that spent August sorting through depth and competition at the back end of the defense, Walkers departure is the kind of decision fans will notice, especially with the roster now set in place and the next wave of moves still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Bills First 53 Reveals A Big Week 1 Roster Reality
The Bills have set their 53-man active roster for the 2026 season, and the first cutdown list already says plenty about how this team wants to open the year. Buffalos roster includes wide receiver Tyrell Shavers on Reserve/PUP, defensive lineman Zane Durant on Injured Reserve with a designation to return, and defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis on the Reserve/Suspended list after a violation of the leagues banned substances policy.
The most immediate Week 1 takeaway is what the Bills chose to keep around the edges of the roster. Buffalo is carrying four tight ends and no fullbacks, a combination that points to some clear preferences in how the offense is being built for the season opener. Those kinds of decisions often tell as much about a teams identity as the headline names do, and the Bills have already made theirs pretty clear. [Read more 🡒]