Josh Palmer insists his body is finally back where it needs to be. The Bills, though, still haven’t handed him a clean path to a major role.
That tension sits right at the center of Buffalo’s receiver picture as training camp rolls on. Palmer has spent the summer trying to erase the memory of a lost 2025 season, and by his own telling, the reset is taking hold.
WKBW reported that he has opened camp strongly at St. John Fisher University, a notable change after what he called a “hard reset.”
Joe Brady, who previously called plays for Palmer as offensive coordinator before his promotion, has also praised the receiver’s work ethic and approach throughout camp.
The problem for Palmer is that health alone doesn’t clear a crowded depth chart.
Buffalo’s receiver room already features DJ Moore as the clear No. 1 after the offseason trade, with Khalil Shakir locked in as a starter following his 2025 breakout. Dalton Kincaid and James Cook also remain established pieces in Josh Allen’s passing game. So even if Palmer is moving better and stacking positive practices, there are still plenty of mouths to feed.
And the first unofficial hint from the Bills’ camp setup was not exactly a green light. Ahead of the preseason opener against Carolina, Buffalo’s unofficial depth chart had Palmer working with the second team, while Keon Coleman was listed as the starting No. 3 receiver. It’s not a final verdict - and Bills reporters have been careful not to treat it like one - but it does show that Palmer’s job is still up for grabs.
That’s a notable shift for a player who was brought in to be a meaningful addition. Palmer signed last offseason as Buffalo’s top free-agent pickup, but the year never really got on track.
Ankle and knee injuries limited him to 12 games, and he finished with 22 catches on 37 targets for 303 yards and no touchdowns. He also missed both playoff games.
By any measure, it was the worst statistical season of his career.
Palmer has been candid about how much that season weighed on him. At a Bills Mafia fan event in July, speaking with Trainwreck Sports, he said, “The body is getting way, way, way better. I’m in a much better place,” and added that he’s looking forward to “having a healthy season.”
So far, the early signs have matched the words. Palmer has shown the vertical ability that helped make his name over four years with the Chargers, including a contested catch over cornerback Dee Alford down the seam that Bills beat reporter Jonathan Acosta identified as one of the best plays of camp.
Buffalo doesn’t need Palmer to be a featured star. It needs him to be the dependable complementary receiver the front office had in mind when it gave him a three-year, $29 million contract last offseason, a deal that included $15 million fully guaranteed at signing, according to Buffalo Rumblings.
If he stays healthy and gives Allen a real downfield option, that’s a major boost for the passing game. If not, the offense will keep moving without him.
His teammates seem convinced there’s more in there. Khalil Shakir, on the Centered on Buffalo podcast, called Palmer one of the hardest workers on the team and said he’s “up before all of us” getting extra work in the training and weight rooms.
Buffalo opens its preseason schedule against Carolina on Saturday. It won’t answer every question, but it will give the Bills their first game look at whether a healthy Palmer can turn a strong camp into something more concrete.
In Other News...
Bills Fans Are Questioning What The New Stadium Prioritized
The conversation around the Bills new Highmark Stadium has shifted from anticipation to a very specific kind of fan frustration: the seats themselves. Populous, the architecture firm behind the project, said the obstructed views some fans are noticing were part of an intentional effort to pull spectators closer to the field and create a louder, tighter atmosphere, while also meeting the safety and concourse-space demands that come with a modern stadium.
For plenty of Bills supporters, though, that explanation has done little to calm concerns about compromised sightlines and obstructed seating. The backlash has spread across social media, where fans have complained not just about what they can and cannot see, but also about what they say were misleading assurances from ticket representatives. For a fan base that has waited through the long road to a new building, the question now is whether the design put atmosphere ahead of the basics people expect from their seats. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Stadium Backlash Just Raised One Huge Question For Fans
Photos showing obstructed-view seats at the Bills new stadium have sparked a wave of criticism from fans and sports personalities, turning what was supposed to be a gleaming next chapter for Buffalo into an early public relations headache. For a project built to showcase the franchises future, the optics of blocked sightlines have quickly become the story, and plenty of supporters are wondering how a brand-new venue could leave any seats with a compromised view.
The buildings design has an explanation attached to it, with some of those sightline issues presented as part of the concept meant to keep fans closer to the action. The organization, meanwhile, says the number of complaints from PSL holders has been tiny and that concerns will be handled individually, but the reaction suggests this is one issue that is not going away quietly as the stadium debate continues. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Roster Battles Start Getting Real Against The Panthers
The Bills have spent much of the offseason talking about depth, and now the preseason is where all of that planning starts to get tested. With Carolina on deck, Buffalo is moving from roster theory to roster reality, and the next few weeks should give the staff a clearer sense of which fringe players can handle real snaps when the games count.
Several spots are already drawing attention, from wide receiver and cornerback to inside linebacker, the defensive line and safety. For a team that values competition as much as continuity, the preseason opener is less about the final score than the jobs on the line, and the Panthers game is the first chance for those battles to start sorting themselves out. [Read more 🡒]