The Buffalo Bills are heading into the 2026 season with a schedule that won’t give them much breathing room. Joe Brady’s first year as head coach comes with a serious challenge, and the list of opponents alone tells the story.
Buffalo will see some of the league’s biggest names, from Texans EDGE Will Anderson and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown, Rams EDGE Myles Garrett and wideout Puka Nacua, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Packers EDGE Micah Parsons.
But the headline names are only part of the picture. There’s another group of opponents on Buffalo’s slate that could cause problems: the under-the-radar players entering contract years who have every reason to make noise.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently identified eight underrated players who could “boost their market value” ahead of the 2027 free agency market, and five of them are set to face the Bills this season. That group includes DL Gervon Dexter Sr. of the Chicago Bears, TE Greg Dulcich of the Miami Dolpins, CB Ja’Quan McMillian of the Denver Broncos, WR Tre Tucker of the Las Vegas Raiders and DL Kobie Turner of the Los Angeles Rams.
The split is simple enough: three defenders, two offensive players. And that matters, because contract-year players tend to bring an extra edge when they’re trying to prove they deserve a bigger payday. That motivation can turn a modest name into a real problem for an opponent, especially against a team like Buffalo that draws plenty of attention.
For the Bills, that means the spotlight won’t just be on the stars. Players like Dexter, Dulcich, McMillian, Tucker and Turner will have a chance to use a high-profile matchup to make their case. And with Buffalo among the league’s best, it’s the kind of stage where those players can get noticed fast.
In Other News...
Stevie Johnson Just Raised The Stakes For Keon Coleman In Buffalo
Keon Coleman enters this season with more to prove than most third-year receivers, and the backdrop from last year still lingers. He was a healthy scratch for multiple games, his name popped up in trade speculation, and the noise around him only grew after the owners unusual comments, turning what should have been a developmental year into a test of patience and professionalism.
Now he is spending time with Stevie Johnson, one of the more productive receivers in Bills history, in an effort to sharpen the details of his game and reset the conversation. Johnson has been openly bullish on Colemans ceiling, and Buffalos new staff has signaled belief too, with Joe Brady planning to make him a major part of the offseason and Josh Allen voicing confidence in what Coleman can become. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Should Watch This Receiver Battle More Closely Than Expected
Stephen Gosnells path through Buffalo has already followed the familiar undrafted-receiver route: sign, stick around, keep developing, and try to turn offseason reps into something more meaningful. After spending the 2025 season on the practice squad, the wideout is back in the Bills pipeline on a reserve/future deal and was part of offseason workouts heading toward 2026, which keeps him on the radar even if he is still more of a project than a roster lock.
The wider interest here is less about whether Gosnell crashes the 53-man roster and more about how Buffalo chooses to keep grooming him if he doesnt. A return to the practice squad remains a real possibility, and a gameday elevation during the season would not be out of the question if he continues to show growth. For a receiver group that always seems to have one or two jobs open to the right developmental player, Gosnell is the kind of name worth watching a little more closely than his current status suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans May Not Have Realized They Just Saw This Pass Rusher's End
Joey Bosas one-year run in Buffalo may already stand as the last chapter of a decorated career, even if nothing has been officially announced. The five-time Pro Bowler gave the Bills real impact last season, staying on the field for 15 games and helping set the tone off the edge with production that fit exactly what Buffalo wanted from a veteran pass rusher.
The Bills have moved quickly to reshape that group since then, adding Bradley Chubb and drafting T.J. Parker to reinforce the pass rush. Bosa remains unsigned as free agency moves on, and for a player who once looked like a premium difference-maker, the longer he stays on the market, the more his lone season in Buffalo starts to look like the end of the line. [Read more 🡒]