When the Buffalo Bills signed wide receiver Joshua Palmer to a three-year, $29 million contract during the 2025 offseason, the move was viewed as a sensible, if unspectacular, addition. Palmer, who had spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, was never brought in to be a true number-one option. Instead, he was expected to provide reliable depth behind the team’s younger core of Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, offering a steady veteran presence in the receiving corps.
However, Palmer’s debut season in Buffalo fell well short of expectations. Plagued by inconsistency and hindered by an ankle injury that slowed his development within the offense, he became something of an afterthought. His final stat line—22 receptions for 303 yards—was a far cry from what the Bills had envisioned when they invested in him. The situation grew more dire when he was placed on injured reserve ahead of the playoffs, rendering him unavailable for the team’s postseason push.
Now, with the 2026 season on the horizon, Palmer’s future with the franchise has become a subject of considerable speculation. Following the high-profile acquisition of wide receiver DJ Moore, the Bills’ receiving room has undergone a significant shift, and Palmer appears to be the odd man out.
A Difficult First Season in Buffalo
Palmer arrived in Buffalo with a modest but respectable résumé. During his time with the Chargers, he had shown flashes of being a capable secondary option, particularly when injuries thrust him into a larger role. The Bills were not asking him to be a star; they were asking him to be dependable. Unfortunately, that dependability never materialized.
The ankle injury he suffered early in the season proved to be a recurring obstacle. Just as he seemed to be finding a rhythm, the injury would flare up or limit his explosiveness in practices and games. By the time he was placed on injured reserve, it had become clear that the coaching staff had lost confidence in his ability to contribute consistently. For a player brought in to provide stability, his first year was defined by uncertainty and absence.
The DJ Moore Factor
The calculus around Palmer’s roster spot changed dramatically when the Bills executed a trade for DJ Moore. Moore is a proven commodity—a dynamic, high-volume receiver who immediately becomes the centerpiece of any passing attack he joins. His presence reshuffles the entire depth chart.
With Moore now entrenched as a primary target, the Bills have less need for a veteran like Palmer who struggled to carve out a role. While Palmer was originally envisioned as a complementary piece, the team now has the flexibility to prioritize younger players with higher developmental ceilings. In essence, the addition of Moore has made Palmer redundant, especially considering the financial and roster implications of keeping him.
Financial Considerations
From a cap management perspective, the Bills are in a relatively comfortable position heading into 2026. According to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, the team currently has over $13 million in effective cap space, meaning they are not under immediate pressure to cut Palmer purely for financial relief. However, the structure of his contract makes a post-June 1 release an appealing option.
If the Bills were to release Palmer before June 1, they would incur an additional $2.5 million in dead cap charges. Waiting until after that date would flip the equation, saving the team approximately $2.3 million in cap room. While that savings alone may not be the driving force behind a decision, it provides a convenient financial incentive to move on if the team has already decided Palmer no longer fits their plans.
Knox emphasized that the decision is likely to be driven more by football reasons than by money. With Moore now in the fold and the receiving corps taking on a new shape, the Bills simply may not have a role for Palmer in the offense moving forward.
The Competition Within
Even without the addition of DJ Moore, Palmer faced an uphill battle to secure meaningful playing time. His primary competition comes from Keon Coleman, the team’s 2024 second-round pick. Coleman has yet to develop into the consistent, high-impact receiver the Bills hoped for when they drafted him, but he still represents a significant investment in the future. His athleticism and physical profile give him a higher ceiling than Palmer, and as long as he remains on the roster, the coaching staff is likely to prioritize his development over a veteran who struggled to stay on the field.
There were whispers during the offseason that Coleman could be a trade candidate, but no such move materialized. As long as Coleman is in Buffalo, Palmer is effectively buried on the depth chart. With Moore occupying a starting role, Shakir thriving in the slot, and Coleman taking up valuable snaps on the outside, the path to consistent playing time for Palmer is narrow at best.
The Draft Looms
Adding further uncertainty is the likelihood that the Bills will add another wide receiver during the NFL draft. Knox noted that there is a “non-zero” chance Buffalo selects another pass-catcher, a move that would deepen the position group even further. If the Bills do invest a draft pick in a young receiver, they will be motivated to give that player every opportunity to develop through game reps.
In that scenario, Palmer would find himself not only behind Moore, Coleman, and Shakir but also competing for scraps with a promising rookie. For a veteran in the final two years of his contract, such a situation is often untenable. Teams typically prefer to allocate those developmental snaps to younger, cost-controlled players rather than to a veteran whose future with the organization is already in doubt.
A Difficult but Logical Cut
When considering all the factors—Palmer’s disappointing first season, the arrival of DJ Moore, the presence of Keon Coleman, and the strong possibility of another wide receiver being added through the draft—it becomes difficult to argue against his placement as a cut candidate. The Bills are not a team in cap distress, but they are also not in the business of carrying expensive veterans who do not have a clear role.
For Palmer, the situation is an unfortunate turn of events. He arrived in Buffalo with the hope of revitalizing his career after four steady but unspectacular years with the Chargers. Instead, injuries and a shifting roster landscape have left him on the outside looking in. If the Bills decide to move on, it will not be a reflection of his character or work ethic, but rather a cold, logical decision based on roster construction and future planning.
As the offseason progresses and the draft approaches, Palmer’s future will be one of the quieter but more telling storylines to watch in Buffalo. If he is released, it will signal that the Bills are fully committed to a new direction in their receiving corps—one that no longer has room for a player who was, for a brief moment, seen as a key part of the plan.
