The Buffalo Bills could make an intriguing decision on wide receiver Joshua Palmer.
Buffalo signed Palmer to a three-year, $29 million deal last offseason as he was expected to make a difference on offense. However, Palmer dealt with injuries last season as he failed to make an impact on offense.
Palmer finished the year recording 22 receptions for 303 yards and zero touchdowns. It was a frustrating season for Palmer, and NFL analyst Billy Heyen of SportingNews predicts Buffalo will likely cut Palmer after the 2026 NFL season.
“The reality is that Palmer’s contract dictates that he sticks around for the 2026 season,” Heyen wrote. “But although it has two years remaining, there’s an easy way for the Bills to cut ties after this year. The Bills built in an opt out before the 2027 season. He’s slated to have a $9.6 million cap hit for that campaign. ….
“Eventually, Palmer is going to either prove himself, which would be a surprise, or he’ll play himself off the roster. At this point, one outcome seems way more likely than the other.”
Palmer still could have an important role with the Bills’ offense in 2026. But if Buffalo decides to move on from him after this year, it would save Buffalo $4.8 million against the cap, which could be enough to entice the Bills to cut him.
Palmer was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Palmer Was Eager to Sign With Bills
Last offseason, Buffalo worked quickly to sign Palmer, who was eager to sign with the Bills.
Palmer is from Brampton, which is close to Toronto, so Buffalo is the closest NFL team to his hometown. So, he admitted signing with the Bills was like a homecoming for him.
“I would like to say it’s like a homecoming,” Palmer said at the time of his signing. “I feel like I just signed with the Canadian team. It’s awesome. A lot closer to home. I feel like everything is just coming full circle.”
Palmer, meanwhile, felt like he would help the Bills’ offense and was ready to do whatever is needed.
“I know I haven’t even, maybe I’ve scratched the surface,” Palmer said. “But I think being here, they’ll be able to exploit my strengths and I’ll be able to prove to them and myself that this is the reason you guys want me here and this is the reason I want to be here, with the passion and the dedication and the way I prepare. I feel I have a lot more to grow and hopefully I can be here for a long time to do that.”
However, Palmer’s first year with Buffalo didn’t go as planned, in large part due to injuries.
Buffalo Overhauls Wide Receiver Room
The Bills did make some intriguing moves to the wide receiver room this offseason.
Buffalo traded for DJ Moore to be the team’s No. 1 receiver, in a bold move from general manager Brandon Beane.
Moore has proven he can be a true No. 1 receiver and is likely the best receiver Josh Allen has had since Stefon Diggs. Moore recorded 50 receptions for 682 yards and 6 touchdowns last season, which was a down year.
In the NFL Draft, Buffalo also selected Skyler Bell to add two impact receivers to the unit.
Bills Predicted to Make $4.8M Decision on 5-Year NFL Wide Receiver