Bills Announce Big Move for Josh Allen’s Best Friend; Veteran WR

Getty Tanner Gentry #87 of the Buffalo Bills on the field during training camp at the Adpro Sports Training Center on July 28, 2021.

The Buffalo Bills (3-1) will be without several key starters when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) in Week 5, and the team announced on Saturday, October 8 that wide receiver Tanner Gentry will be elevated to the active roster for Sunday’s matchup.

Heading into the 2022 NFL season, with so much depth in the receivers’ room, it was deemed that Gentry had no “realistic” shot of earning a place on the 53-man roster — even maintaining a spot on the practice squad seemed iffy — so this is a big move for the 27-year-old receiver.

Gentry was initially cut from the practice squad on September 14 in order to add defensive tackle Prince Emili after starter Ed Oliver suffered an ankle injury during their season opener against the Rams. However, the Bills re-signed the 6-foot-2, 209-pound receiver after running back Raheem Blackshear was poached off the practice squad by the Carolina Panthers.

Gentry, who’s been best friends with quarterback Josh Allen since they were teammates at Wyoming, has yet to play a snap on the Bills’ active roster since first joining the practice squad in January 2021, but with Buffalo being 14-point favorites over the Steelers, if the score gets lopsided enough, there’s a strong chance he will record both his first snap and first reception.

Fans and analysts were thrilled to see Gentry finally get his shot. New 4 Buffalo reporter Matt Parrino tweeted, “Nice reward for Gentry after all his work on PS the past few seasons,” while a fan wrote, “Tanner Gentry… the Allen ➡️ Gentry connection in college was legendary.”

Heading into Week 5, the team’s No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs is healthy, but Buffalo’s pool of receivers is pretty dinged up. Gabe Davis is powering through an ankle sprain, Isaiah McKenzie is in concussion protocol, Jake Kumerow is out with a high ankle sprain, Jamison Crowder was placed on IR (broken ankle), and tight end Dawson Knox is out (foot issue).

The Bills also announced on Saturday that wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, the team’s sixth-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, was being signed to the active roster, likely to serve as Crowder’s replacement.

Gentry Credits Allen for Him Getting an Opportunity in Buffalo

In March 2021, Gentry acknowledged to Buffalo Fanatics’ Mitch Broder that Allen was a huge part of him even getting a chance to play in Buffalo. “I know Josh had a little bit to do with it,” Gentry said. “The fact that they brought me on and gave me a chance to even get me in the door and show what I can do, it means the world to me and I’m ready to make the most of it.”

In July 2022, Gentry shared a similar sentiment on Instagram. He captioned a photo from training camp, “Thankful to play this game and for everyone who has helped me get here. Year 5.”

Now only is Gentry tight with Allen, but the quarterback’s longtime girlfriend, Brittany Williams, is close friends with Gentry’s wife, Kaytlyn. Even after her husband was cut earlier this season, it didn’t stop Kaytlyn from joining Brittany at Highmark Stadium to cheer on the Bills as they steamrolled the Tennessee Titans 41-7 in Week 2.

Gentry was also in attendance to watch the Bills win their first Monday Night Football game at home since November 2014. Though some players would feel slighted after getting released, Gentry appears to be a ride-or-die Bills Mafia member whether he’s on the active roster or not. In photos shared by Kaytlyn on Instagram, Gentry can be seen tailgating after arriving at Highmark in a Bills-themed tour bus.

Gentry and his wife also put down permanent roots in Buffalo, purchasing a $235,000 house near the stadium in Orchard Park in April 2022.

Gentry & Allen Became Close While They Were Both Injured at Wyoming

Gentry earned a D-1 scholarship to Wyoming, and by his junior year, was set to become the Cowboys’ top receiver. After seven games, where he recorded 37 receptions for 678 yards and four touchdowns, he suffered an AC joint separation stemming from the impact of a cornerback falling on top of him.

When Gentry hit IR, another player — Allen — was also recovering from an injury. “That’s when we started to get the closest,” Gentry told Broder. “We were both down … We just tried to stick together. … That offseason we got real close and started to put the work in together.”

The 2016 season turned out phenomenal for both players. During Gentry’s senior year, he caught 72 passes for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns while Allen threw for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 209 of his 373 pass attempts.

Gentry initially signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and despite showing a serious spark during the preseason, recording 70 yards and a touchdown, he landed on the practice squad. After appearing in four NFL games, during which he recorded a total of three catches for 35 yards, the Bears waived him in 2019.

The Mountain West second-team all-conference receiver then tried his luck with the XFL, getting selected by the New York Guardians. However, Gentry was placed on injured reserve before the start of the season and then COVID-19 shut down all league operations in April 2020.