The Buffalo Bills moved on from one veteran receiver and quickly filled the open roster spot by bringing in a group of five players for tryouts.
Jalen Virgil was not at Bills training camp on Wednesday after failing his physical, and the team officially parted ways with him a day later. On the NFL transaction wire, Virgil was listed under terminations of vested veterans with a non-football injury.
With that roster opening available, Buffalo brought in DB Bryce Hall, DB D.J. Miller, WR KhaDarel Hodge, WR Dante Pettis and WR Isaiah Winstead for tryouts.
Hodge is the name that stands out most from the group. The 31-year-old has built his reputation on special teams, and that work earned him a spot in the 2025 Pro Bowl Games after he recovered a muffed punt for a touchdown in Week 4 and got his hands on two punts - one block and one tip - in a Week 15 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was also named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week for that performance against Las Vegas.
Pettis brings a different kind of resume. A former second-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, he posted his best NFL season as a rookie, when he caught 27 passes for 467 yards and five touchdowns.
Those numbers remain his career highs. Since then, he has spent time with the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, and he has also handled kick and punt return duties.
Winstead, 26, has most recently played in the UFL. Hall and D.J.
Miller Jr. are also coming off UFL stints. Hall was part of the league’s championship team, the Louisville Kings, in 2026 and had one interception last season, which he returned 83 yards for a touchdown.
Miller Jr. played for the Columbus Aviators in 2026, where he picked off three passes and scored one touchdown.
In Other News...
Bills Secondary Suddenly Has A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Concern
The Bills secondary had already been a point of interest this offseason with C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining the team on a one-year deal, bringing the kind of versatility and edge Buffalo hoped would sharpen the back end of its defense. But his recent exit from a game quickly shifted the conversation from fit and role to simple availability, as trainers and teammates surrounded him after he went down.
Gardner-Johnson was unable to continue and was carted off after an apparent issue with his right foot, leaving Buffalo with an uneasy wait on a player it had just added to help stabilize the secondary. For a defense that is still sorting out new pieces, the sight of a veteran defensive back going down like that is the sort of development the Bills can ill afford this early. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Camp Concern
The Bills got a scare at training camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during a practice drill and had to be helped off the field. It was the kind of moment that can stop a camp session in its tracks, especially when a veteran defensive back is involved, and Buffalo immediately shifted into the cautious mode teams usually reserve for injuries that could alter the shape of a roster conversation.
For now, the early signs are at least somewhat encouraging, with teammates and staff indicating Gardner-Johnson was able to walk afterward and is going through the usual medical steps. Still, the club is waiting for more clarity before saying much more, and the next update will matter for a defense that has been counting on him to settle in quickly during camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Just Got A Scare It Could Not Afford
Training camp already has a way of sorting out the hopeful from the fragile, and Buffalo got a reminder of that when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during 11-on-11 drills. He suffered a lower-body injury, was helped off the field, and the Bills quickly shifted from practice mode to waiting mode as he was taken in for further evaluation.
The immediate concern was hard to miss: Gardner-Johnson was favoring his right foot and not putting much weight on it before heading to the locker room. Buffalo is now waiting on medical testing to learn how serious the injury is, a situation the secondary can hardly welcome with the season work already underway. [Read more 🡒]