The Bills’ receiver room is crowded, but Stephen Gosnell is still hanging around with a real chance to keep carving out a place for himself.
Buffalo signed the former Virginia Tech wideout as an undrafted free agent, and unlike a lot of UDFAs who disappear quickly, Gosnell has already stuck through a full offseason, a practice-squad stint, and now into his second professional year. He’s one of 14 wide receivers on the current roster, a group that includes Khalil Shakir, DJ Moore, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Mecole Hardman Jr., Trent Sherfield Sr., Jalen Virgil, Ja’Mori Maclin, Max Tomczak, Deven Thompkins, Tyrell Shavers, Skyler Bell, and Mac Dalena.
Gosnell is listed at 6’1”, 198 pounds and is set to turn 25 on 10/22/2026. He signed a reserve/future contract after the 2025 NFL season, a two-year deal worth $1,943,500 in total.
If he makes the 53-man roster, his cap number would be $889,250. If the Bills move on, the dead-cap charge is $8,500.
His 2025 season was brief but enough to keep him in the building. Gosnell played in two preseason games and caught all five of his targets for 41 yards.
He didn’t handle any kick or punt returns, and he didn’t record a tackle on special teams. Buffalo waived him on August 26, then brought him back on the practice squad after he cleared waivers.
He never got elevated to the active roster during the season, but the Bills still signed him to that reserve/future deal at the end of the year.
That kind of persistence matters. As the source material notes, three-quarters of UDFAs don’t make it in any capacity in their first shot at the league.
Gosnell did more than just survive; he stayed close enough to the team that Buffalo kept him around. That suggests the Bills see something worth developing.
What exactly they like is still the open question. His 2025 Pro Day numbers point to one possible answer: a 6.96-second three-cone drill, plus a 6’5” wingspan, 34.5-inch vertical jump, and 10-foot broad jump. He also may have the kind of versatility that helps a player like him survive in a receiver room with plenty of uncertainty.
There’s a recent Bills example that shows the path. Tyrell Shavers spent years grinding on the practice squad before working his way onto the roster, and he entered the league as a UDFA too. Gosnell and Shavers aren’t the same player, but the route is familiar.
For now, the most realistic outcome is still that Gosnell lands back on the practice squad. Even so, the Bills have shown patience with him, and that can matter for a player trying to make the jump from afterthought to option. If he shows enough this summer, a gameday elevation during the 2026 season is at least in play.
One possible way to help himself: special teams. Gosnell has never returned kicks or punts at the NCAA or NFL level, but if Buffalo gives him a shot in that competition, he could add another line to his résumé.
The Bills already have All-Pro kickoff return man Ray Davis, but they have not had a consistent punt returner since Deonte Harty in 2024. If Gosnell gets a chance to throw his hat into that mix and performs well, it could give his stock a lift.
Even then, making the team this year remains a long shot.
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