The Buffalo Bills are back in game prep, and their season opener sends them right back to a place that has given them plenty of trouble: NRG Stadium against the Houston Texans.
For longtime Bills fans, the trip south comes with a familiar memory. Buffalo has not won in Houston since 2006, so even the first unofficial depth chart of the 2026 NFL season is worth a careful look. There’s no official injury report yet, and plenty can still shift before Sunday, but the initial pecking order does offer a few clues.
At wide receiver, the order looks mostly settled behind the top two. DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir are the obvious starters, with Keon Coleman slotted in as WR3.
Joshua Palmer is behind Coleman, while rookie Skyler Bell is listed behind Moore. The Bills don’t list anyone behind Shakir, though Bell and Palmer would appear to be the next options if needed.
The running back group also gives a clearer picture. Ray Davis is listed as RB2 ahead of Ty Johnson, and he could be in line for meaningful work this season because of his special teams value.
Davis is again the team’s primary kick returner, with Johnson behind him there, and he is also listed as the second punt returner. Johnson’s status remains uncertain after the injury he suffered during the Return of the Blue & Red game, and that could affect how the Bills sort out the backfield and return duties.
Punt returner may be the most interesting special teams battle on the board. Right now, nickel cornerback Dee Alford is listed as the top option there.
Buffalo also signed wide receiver Greg Dortch at roster cutdowns, and once he’s acclimated, he could be elevated to the active roster and take on that job. Alford’s main role is on defense, where he starts at nickel corner and backs up Christian Benford, so this situation is one to monitor.
There was also a small but notable change for cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who is now wearing No. 1 instead of No. 31. On the depth chart, Hairston is listed as the starting CB2 over rookie Davison Igbinosun.
Up front, the backups line up behind the defensive starters as DeWayne Carter behind Ed Oliver, Greg Gaines behind Deone Walker, and Landon Jackson behind T.J. Sanders. The biggest takeaway there is simply the answer to the third starting defensive line spot after Oliver and Walker.
At inside linebacker, Dorian Williams is ahead of rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr, who is listed as his backup. Joe Andreessen opens the season as Terrel Bernard’s primary reserve at linebacker.
In Other News...
Bills Face A Texans Problem That Could Decide Their Opener
Houstons defense gave Buffalo a look last season that is hard to ignore heading into the opener. The Texans sent extra rushers at one of the lowest rates in the league, yet still found ways to get after quarterbacks, including Josh Allen in a Week 12 meeting when Buffalo saw pressure even though the blitz came sparingly. For a Bills offense that wants to keep Allen upright and in rhythm, that kind of pressure profile is the kind of problem that can shape a game plan before the first snap.
James Cook looms as a key answer because the Bills may need more than protection schemes and quick throws to keep Houston honest. If the Texans can create disruption without overcommitting, Buffalo will have to lean on the run game to slow the rush and open up space for everything else. It is the sort of matchup detail that can quietly decide an opener, especially against a defense that has already shown it can make life uncomfortable without sending the house. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Tomlin Just Created A Bills What-If Fans Will Notice
Mike Tomlins first public comments since parting ways with the Steelers in January had a ripple effect that Bills fans were bound to notice. After 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, the longtime head coach said in a recent interview that he is open to getting back into the NFL if the right opportunity comes along, and he also spoke glowingly about Josh Allen while reflecting on his time away from the sideline.
For Buffalo, it is the kind of what-if that naturally lingers around a franchise built around a franchise quarterback and high expectations. Tomlin did not sound eager to rush into anything, but he made it clear he still sees coaching as a real possibility, which only adds another layer to a future that already has Bills fans thinking about how long this current window can stay open. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Captain Picks Say A Lot About Buffalos 2026 Leadership Plan
The Bills have settled on their leadership core for the 2026 season, and the group says plenty about how the locker room is being shaped around both continuity and change. Josh Allen and Terrel Bernard are back in their familiar roles as captains, while Dawson Knox, Bradley Chubb, Reid Ferguson and Sam Franklin Jr. round out a group that mixes established voices with a few new faces.
For Knox, it is his first time wearing the captain label, a notable step for a player who has long been part of the team's identity on offense. Allen, meanwhile, keeps extending one of the more durable captaincy runs on the roster, reaching his eighth, and the mix of returning leaders and first-time additions suggests the Bills are leaning on experience while widening the circle of responsibility heading into the new season. [Read more 🡒]