The Buffalo Bills got their 2026 season off to a thrilling start by grabbing a close but wild win over the Houston Texans, 36-31, their first road win over the Texans since 2006.
Quarterback Josh Allen threw for 334 yards, completing 20 of 29 passes with two touchdowns and zero interceptions, while running for two more TDs.
The day after the victory, the Bills very quietly made a signing to build their backfield depth, with the potential to add more blocking for Allen as well as another option in the ground game.
In the Monday move, Buffalo signed former New England Patriots fullback Brock Lampe to its practice squad, filling a spot that had remained empty on the Bills’ roster since final cuts came down.
Buffalo enters the short week leading into their Thursday night game against the Detroit Lions without a clear answer at the position, but the Lampe signing gives coach Joe Brady new options.
The signing, confirmed by the Buffalo Bills PR department, corresponded with the release of guard Nick Broeker from the practice squad. Lampe will wear No. 45 and has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, according to NFL Trade Rumors.
Buffalo released longtime special-teamer Ben VanSumeren on final roster cuts and previously moved on from undrafted rookie Jackson Acker, leaving no true fullback on the initial 53-man roster. The corresponding move became official on Buffalo’s team transaction log Monday.
Brady downplayed the position’s necessity over the summer, after Buffalo lost longtime fullback Reggie Gilliam to a three-year, $10.8 million deal with the rival Patriots in free agency. “You don’t ever want to have a fullback just to have a fullback,” Brady said, according to Pro Football Rumors.
Buffalo instead leaned on second-year tight end Jackson Hawes, who played 43 percent of offensive snaps as a rookie and finished as Pro Football Focus’ third-ranked run-blocking tight end, per Pro Football Rumors. Lampe gives Brady a dedicated lead blocker he can elevate from the practice squad without disrupting that plan.
Gilliam played 235 offensive snaps for Buffalo last season and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ top-rated run-blocking fullback in the league, a size element the Bills currently lack on their active roster. Buffalo is 1-0 to start the season, and the short week leaves little time to evaluate practice-squad depth before Thursday’s kickoff at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
Bills’ Brock Lampe Signing Fills Fullback Void
Lampe made his visit to Buffalo Sept. 3, two days after Seattle waived him from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to RotoWire. He is now on his third organization since late July.
College evaluators called him a “Swiss Army knife” at Northern Illinois, lining him up as a fullback, tight end, receiver and offset tackle while also working special teams, according to Chowder and Champions. He played 47 consecutive games for the Huskies from 2021 to 2024, and Northern Illinois averaged 203.8 rushing yards per game behind his blocking in his final season, according to Northern Illinois’ official site.
Lampe finished his college career with 20 carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns, plus 18 receptions for 216 yards and another score. He earned three Academic All-MAC honors and served as a team captain as a senior.
Why Patriots and Seahawks Moved On From Lampe
New England signed Gilliam and opted not to carry two fullbacks, waiving Lampe on July 22 before training camp opened. He spent all of 2025 on injured reserve with a leg injury and never played in a regular-season game for the Patriots.
Seattle signed him Aug. 6 as camp depth before reversing course and waiving him with the injury settlement that eventually pointed him toward Buffalo. At 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds, Lampe now gets a fresh chance to prove his blocking translates to an NFL practice field, this time with a franchise that has openly wondered whether it needs a fullback at all.
Bills Quietly Sign Ex-Patriots Fullback After Week 1 Win Over Texans