Bills Make A Game Day Choice That Says Plenty Vs Lions

The Buffalo Bills bolster their roster for Thursday Night Football by promoting wide receiver Greg Dortch and running back Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad.

The Bills are adding two practice squad pieces to the active roster for Thursday night’s matchup with the Lions, elevating wide receiver Greg Dortch and running back Frank Gore Jr. for Week 2, according to the NFL’s Official Transaction Wire.

Dortch, 28, has taken a winding path to Buffalo. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Jets out of Wake Forest in 2019, was waived after the preseason, and then landed on New York’s practice squad after clearing waivers. His career since then has included stops with the Panthers, Jets, Rams, and Falcons before he signed with the Cardinals in 2022.

Arizona kept him around by bringing him back as an exclusive rights free agent in each of the next two seasons. Last offseason, Dortch signed a one-year restricted deal with the Cardinals, then agreed to a deal with the Lions for 2026 before being released after camp this year. In 2025, he played in 12 games and finished with 29 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

Gore Jr., 24, is the son of former NFL running back Frank Gore and came into the league with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss in 2024. He was part of the Bills’ final roster cuts as a rookie, spent time moving on and off the practice squad, and later returned on a futures deal before sticking on the practice squad after roster cutdowns.

At Southern Miss, Gore piled up 4,022 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 759 carries over 47 games, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also added 75 receptions for 692 yards and four scores, and even took snaps at quarterback, completing 17 of 35 passes for 368 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception.

In Other News...

Bills Fans Get A Wild New Game Day Twist For Lions Opener

Bills fans heading into the season opener against the Detroit Lions will find a new concession item waiting for them at Highmark Stadium: an exclusive reusable beer horn that comes packed with a 16 oz. Labatt Blue or Labatt Blue Light can. The item will be sold for $30 and available only until kickoff, adding another bit of novelty to a day already carrying extra weight as the first regular-season game at the Bills new stadium.

The offer is limited to fans 21 and older, and it fits the kind of game-day atmosphere Buffalo has long leaned into, especially when the building is set for such a milestone moment. Beyond the souvenir appeal, the opener still has the more important football backdrop, with the Bills looking to start their home era at Highmark Stadium the right way and move to 2-0 in the new season. [Read more 🡒]

Josh Allen Was Furious Over How Bills Teammates Family Tragedy Went Public

The Bills spent part of the summer dealing with a tragedy that went far beyond football, as Ed Olivers two-year-old son died in June after being found unresponsive in a swimming pool near Houston. The Harris County Sheriffs Office investigated the incident, found no criminal findings and closed the case in August, while the team publicly expressed its condolences and tried to keep the focus where it belonged, on the familys privacy and grief.

Josh Allen later addressed how the news became public, and his frustration was clear. The Buffalo quarterback thanked the people who respected the familys privacy, but he also made it known that he was angry about the information being leaked before the family was ready to share it, a reminder that even around an NFL locker room, some moments are far bigger than the game. [Read more 🡒]

Bills-Lions Suddenly Has One Matchup Buffalo Fans Will Watch Closely

The Lions arrive at Highmark Stadium on Thursday night with a reshuffled offensive line, and that is the kind of detail Buffalo fans tend to notice quickly. Detroit will be down starting right tackle Blake Miller and left guard Christian Mahogany, with starting center Cade Mays already on injured reserve, leaving the interior and right side of the protection picture looking awfully thin for a short-week road game.

For Buffalo, the bigger watch item is the home injury report, where safety Cole Bishop, running back Ty Johnson and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders are all listed as questionable. With the Bills preparing for a primetime test and the Lions trying to patch together the front in front of their quarterback, both teams will be monitoring availability right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]