Skip to main content

Josh Allen could lose a $24 million receiver just to make room on the Bills’ depth chart

Posted on May 19, 2025 - 9:13 am by

Buffalo has 12 receivers and four tight ends on its roster.

 

The Buffalo Bills’ receiver room is one of the deepest in the NFL. With 12 receivers and four tight ends on the depth chart, it’s difficult for any of them to stand out, and even more, the front office might have the luxury of cutting a $24 million receiver before the 2025 NFL season begins.

Last season was extraordinary for quarterback Josh Allen. In 17 games, he completed 307 passes on 483 attempts, yielding 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing for only six interceptions. His receivers, on the other hand, barely managed to shine.

Only Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman had more than 500 yards last season, and neither had more than five touchdowns. Even veteran Amari Cooper, a midseason addition, barely reached 297 yards. Amid this backdrop, it makes sense that the Bills want to clean house, and it’s Curtis Samuel’s contract that’s in jeopardy.

Samuel has one foot out of Buffalo

Curtis Samuel joined the Bills in the 2024 offseason on a three-year, $24 million contract. However, his presence was barely felt in Allen’s offense. That’s why Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox believes the front office could cut him in the coming weeks.

“Samuel failed to make a significant impact last season, finishing with just 253 receiving yards and one touchdown,” Knox recalled, explaining, “The Bills are chasing a championship and could decide that an extra roster spot is more valuable than Samuel’s price tag.”

The analyst also noted that after signing receivers Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore, and rookie Kaden Prather in the offseason, Buffalo’s front office “could view Samuel as expendable.”

Samuel’s salary cap hit

Knox clarified that trading or releasing Samuel would only free up barely $430,000 in salary cap space. However, the circumstances surrounding the 28-year-old receiver make his departure make sense for the Bills, at least on paper.

But nothing is set in stone. With training camps about to begin and the preseason still a couple of months away, the Bills’ front office has plenty of time to adjust its roster, and Samuel has plenty of time to prove he deserves a spot on it.