Buffalo Bills signing WR Laviska Shenault Jr., per reports

A pre-draft favorite with many Bills fans in 2020, Shenault joins his fifth team as he begins year six.

The Buffalo Bills are signing wide receiver/return specialist Laviska Shenault Jr., per a report by Tom Pelissero. Many readers will recall Shenault’s name, with him being a popular prospect with Bills Mafia ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Buffalo will be the fifth team to roster Shenault, who’s entering his sixth season in the NFL. To say things haven’t worked out well for the former Colorado receiver would be an understatement. Initially drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Round 2 at 42 overall, Shenault showed promise in two seasons with Jacksonville — starting 22 of 30 games played and catching 121 passes (179 targets) for 1,219 yards with five touchdowns (all TDs came his rookie season); adding 29 rushes for 132 yards.

Following the 2021 NFL season, Shenault was traded to the Carolina Panthers — a team in near-full roster disarray at the time. At the end of two seasons with the Panthers, Shenault had made just 37 receptions for 332 yards and one touchdown; plus 21 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Shenault went on to play for Seahawks and Chargers in 2024, but was an afterthought as an offensive weapon. What he’s continued to provide in recent stops is a decent presence as a return specialist. His go-to has been kick returns since arriving in the Carolinas. In total, Shenault has picked up 708 yards on 25 kick returns with two touchdowns, and a long of 97 yards. His best season returning kicks was in 2024, where he brought back 16 kickoffs for 459 yards and that career-long 97-yard touchdown streak.
(stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference)

Almost every Bills fan right now wants to know if “X” receiver is a “burner,” or if he makes his living off contested catches. Shenault’s pre-draft numbers imply the latter: 6’5/8”, 227 pounds; 31 7/8” arms; 9” hands; 4.58 40-yard dash; 1.61 10-yard split; 2.67 20-yard split

The first question many will ask is why general manager Brandon Beane signed Laviska Shenault. Well, there are 90 roster spots (91 including International Player Pathway Program) and the Bills have less than 70 players signed to the roster at this time. The other idea to consider is all about darts. This is perhaps a dart toss, hoping to see something in Shenault similar to what he showed with the Jaguars.

There’s no reported need for Buffalo to look at replacing Brandon Codrington as the team’s primary return specialist, but the Bills may like the idea of seeing how Shenault fits in as a guy who showed promise at receiver in college and early in the NFL — and who now does well returning kicks.

View this less about replacing existing players in key positions and more about opportunity for both the Bills and Shenault to see what, if anything, sticks. What registers with you on the news that Shenault is set to join the Bills this offseason?