The Buffalo Bills waived wide receiver Max Tomczak on Sunday, cutting him a second time in four months as the roster cut-down deadline closed in on Sunday.
Buffalo’s move leaves an undrafted rookie chasing a practice squad spot again, with the wide receiver room already stacked well beyond his chances of breaking in.
Buffalo News beat writer Jay Skurski broke the news Sunday, citing a league source on the club’s latest round of cuts, according to Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski. The move came as the Bills trimmed toward the NFL’s 6 p.m. ET deadline for a 53-man roster.
Max Tomczak’s Buffalo Bills Tenure Ends in Second Release
Tomczak, 23, arrived in Buffalo as an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State following this year’s draft. The 6-foot, 195-pound receiver set the school record for receptions during his four seasons with the Penguins, finishing his career with 225 catches and 3,024 receiving yards, second in program history, the Bills reported when he re-signed in June. He caught a pass in 46 straight games and posted a 70-catch, 1,021-yard, eight-touchdown senior season that earned him All-American recognition.
Tomczak is the nephew of Mike Tomczak, who spent 15 NFL seasons at quarterback and won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie with the 1985 Chicago Bears. The elder Tomczak has served as a volunteer adviser to the Youngstown State coaching staff, helping to guide his nephew’s development.
Buffalo waived Tomczak once already this offseason, cutting him May 27, CBS Sports reported at the time. He returned two weeks later, re-signing toward the end of minicamp in a transaction that also saw the club part with receiver Gabriel Benyard.
Tomczak’s return deal in June carried a one-year, $885,000 value with no guaranteed money attached and an $885,000 cap charge for 2026, Spotrac‘s figures show. His original undrafted deal, signed in April before the first release, had been worth roughly $3.13 million over three years but with just $45,000 guaranteed.
Bills Wide Receiver Room After the Tomczak Cut
Tomczak was never going to unseat Buffalo’s established names. Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer headline a receiver group that also includes Skyler Bell and Trent Sherfield, leaving little room for a developmental prospect still adjusting to the NFL game.
The wideout was among several bubble receivers let go in Buffalo’s roster crunch. Stephen Gosnell and Ja’Mori Maclin also cleared out of the position group Sunday, joining earlier departures Mecole Hardman Jr., Dante Pettis and Quentin Skinner as the Bills reshaped their pass-catching corps, Buffalo Rumblings’ roster tracker shows.
Neither head coach Joe Brady nor general manager Brandon Beane has commented publicly on Tomczak’s release.
Sunday’s cutdown hit nearly every position group. Buffalo parted with punter Mitch Wishnowsky, safety Geno Stone and tight end Shane Zylstra among veteran releases, while trading center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger to the Indianapolis Colts. A wave of younger players, including linebacker Otis Reese IV and cornerback Kani Walker, went to the waiver wire alongside Tomczak as the roster fell into place.
If he clears waivers without another team claiming him, Tomczak becomes eligible to return to Buffalo’s practice squad, a familiar landing spot for the kind of productive small-school prospect he was at Youngstown State. More roster moves are expected across the league before Sunday’s deadline passes.
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