The Buffalo Bills must finalize their roster by Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET, trimming it to 53 players. One major decision they face is at running back.
Most teams typically keep three running backs on their 53-man roster, and the Bills appear to have already solidified their choices: James Cook, Ty Johnson and Ray Davis. However, Frank Gore Jr. and Ian Wheeler are pushing hard to earn a roster spot.
If Wheeler does not make the 53-man roster, there is a possibility that the Bills will release him and attempt to re-sign him to the practice squad. But Wheeler would need to clear waivers for that to happen, which might be difficult given how well he has performed.
Could the Bills Consider Trading Wheeler?
Buffalo should consider trading Wheeler, and Bills’ SI Randy Gurzi named him as one of the possible top trade candidates on the roster.
“Undrafted rookie Ian Wheeler has been one of the standouts during the preseason. After recording 41 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers, Wheeler added 56 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards on Saturday against the Browns,” Gurzi wrote on Monday. “It won’t be easy for him to make the roster with James Cook, Ray Davis, and Ty Johnson all ahead of him, but his physical running style could make him popular among running back-needy teams. Rather than waiving him and risking getting nothing in return, the Bills could decide to add more draft capital, assuming they don’t make the surprising move of keeping Wheeler over Johnson or Davis.”
Wheeler played college football at Howard University, but that is not his main claim to fame. The 24-year-old running back had a significant impact during the UFL title game, rushing for 81 yards, and was named the game’s MVP by the league. This past season, he played for the Louisville Knights in the UFL.
The Bills signed Wheeler right after the conclusion of the UFL season. And now he has a good chance of playing in the NFL this season, but maybe not in Buffalo.
Wheeler is Getting Another Chance in the NFL
Wheeler spent some time in the NFL before his current stint with the Bills. He signed a three-year, $2.8 million deal with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2024. But he never saw any significant playing time. He tore his ACL in the Bears’ final preseason game that season, and the team waived him in August 2025.
Even though Wheeler has been out of the NFL for almost a year, he knows how lucky he is to have another opportunity.
“I saw this opportunity to compete on a very seasoned roster, on a roster that has had a lot of success these last few years,” Wheeler said on Aug .19, via Bills.com’s Mike Maynard. “It’s definitely exciting to be granted the opportunity to be back in the league and nonetheless with a team like this.”
It will be exciting to see how Wheeler ends his preseason when the Bills take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m ET.
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