There will be plenty of roster cuts the Buffalo Bills have to make over the next couple of days, and the team has already made its decision on one player in the wide receiver room.
According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, the Bills have cut ties with longtime Kansas City Chiefs wideout and Super Bowl champion Mecole Hardman Jr.
“The Bills are releasing veteran wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr, per source,” Fowler tweeted out on August 29th.
Hardman, 28, was a second-round pick by the Chiefs back in 2019 and joined the Bills in 2025, appearing in just two regular-season games. He’ll now be available on the open market for the 31 other NFL squads.
Bills Move on From Wide Receiver Mecole Hardman Jr.
It was going to be hard for Mecole Hardman Jr. to make the roster when factoring in the number of wide receivers the Bills have in front of him in the depth chart, which includes guys like DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Skyler Bell, Tyrell Shavers, and Trent Sherfield.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic wrote about Hardman’s chances of making the roster on the 28th, saying, “In recent weeks, Hardman has been challenged by backup running back and kickoff returner Ray Davis for the punt returner job, and Davis has come a long way in fielding punts. On top of that, Hardman did not practice Tuesday, which could mean a poorly timed injury.”
The timing of the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for him, as the Bills likely decided to use Davis as the punt return man over Hardman.
Buscaglia also commented on Sherfield’s chances of making the roster, adding, “Sherfield shined against the Browns, and all summer he’s been a steady presence and trusted voice in the wide receiver room. The real debate is whether the Bills need to carve out a spot on their 53-man roster for Sherfield, with fears he might head elsewhere. Sherfield is not subject to waivers, so he could be a clear practice squad stash and call-up when an injury calls for it.”
The combination of Davis’ improvement fielding punts and Sherfield having a great outing against Cleveland was likely the reason Hardman is seeing his way out.
Bills Rookie Wideout Trending Up
As for 2026 fourth-round pick Skyler Bell, things are looking up for him after a bumpy start to the offseason dealing with a groin injury.
In the final preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bell hauled in seven of his 10 targets along with a 28-yard touchdown off a jet sweep.
“I just gotta make sure they give me that ball. That’s all I’m worried about right now. But, I’m super grateful. I was super excited to, you know, get my first one,” Bell said after the game.
“(It was) super important for me. I’ve been itching to get back. I was glad I was just able to get some action before, you know, the ‘bullets’ really get flying. So, I’m glad I was able to go out there and play a full game. …Just staying humble. And, just trying to stick with my process, stick with my everyday (routine), and how I go about games—(well) how I’ve been going about games since college—so, I think that just kept my mind at (ease).”
He’ll have time to settle in a bigger role, especially since the Bills have some veteran wideouts out there.
Bills Cut Ties With Longtime Chiefs Wide Receiver