Getty Tanner Gentry #87 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball after making a catch before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021.
While the Buffalo Bills are expected to say goodbye to several veteran players once free agency starts on March 15, it came as a surprise when wide receiver Tanny Gentry confirmed he was leaving the team to play for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
The Argonauts announced they were signing Gentry on Tuesday, February 21, after which the receiver retweeted the news and wrote, “New Chapter.”
Gentry, who first joined the Bills’ practice squad in January 2021, has been best friends with Bills quarterback Josh Allen since they were teammates at Wyoming. The 28-year-old receiver was called up to the active roster twice this past season, but after Buffalo brought back veteran receivers Cole Beasley and John ‘Smoke’ Brown, his number was no longer called.
Gentry’s tenure with the Bills was a rollercoaster of getting released and re-signed, so when Buffalo cut him to sign former Colts receiver Dezmon Patmon on January 17, it was largely assumed he’d be back in some form, as he’s admirably proved to be a key figure of moral support to Allen whether he was on the team or not.
However, if Gentry remained in Buffalo, his odds of earning a permanent spot on the active roster were slim to none. By heading to the CFL, he has a much higher chance of being a regular starter, an opportunity that must’ve been hard to pass up at his age.
Gentry acknowledged that Allen was a huge part of him even getting a chance to play in Buffalo back in March 2021. “I know Josh had a little bit to do with it,” he told Buffalo Fanatics. “The fact that they brought me on and gave me a chance to even get me in the door and show what I can do, it means the world to me and I’m ready to make the most of it.”
Gentry Put Down Permanent Roots in Buffalo
Luckily for Allen and his girlfriend Brittany Williams, who’s best friends with Gentry’s wife, Kaytlyn, the couple won’t be moving too far away, as Toronto is less than a two-hour drive from Buffalo.
Gentry and his wife put down permanent roots in Buffalo, purchasing a $235,000 house near the stadium in Orchard Park in April 2022. Kaytlyn, who’s a designer, has documented her renovations of their 1954 Buffalo home on Instagram over the past year.
The CFL’s 2023 schedule runs from the end of May (preseason) through November 19 (Grey Cup), so despite playing in different leagues, Allen, Williams, and the Gentrys will still be able to find ways to hang out and cheer on their respective teams.
Bills Fans Wished Gentry the Best of Luck
Gentry initially signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and despite showing a serious spark during the preseason, recording 70 yards and a touchdown, he landed on the practice squad. After appearing in four NFL games, during which he recorded a total of three catches for 35 yards, the Bears waived him in 2019.
The Mountain West second-team all-conference receiver then tried his luck with the XFL, getting selected by the New York Guardians. However, Gentry was placed on injured reserve before the start of the season and then COVID-19 shut down all league operations in April 2020.
While Gentry was never a key part of Buffalo’s offense, Bills Mafia was still sad to see him go and wished him only the best in the CFL. One fan tweeted, “Awesome!! Good luck to you,” while one man wrote, “Congrats! And good luck up there! You’ll always have a home just down the QEW.”
One woman tweeted, “So very excited for the gentry fam !!! Love watching @kaytlyngentry’s home vids on the renovation and i hope y’all keep your base here 🫶🏼💙.”
Eagles safety Marcus Epps, who played at Wyoming alongside Allen and Gentry, replied to the news by tweeting Let’s Go TG!!💪🏽.”