The Buffalo Bills made a pair of late-season additions to their wide receiving corps in 2025 to help the struggling unit, but only one of those players remains on the roster — and could face a long road to returning for the coming season.
The Bills signed veteran receiver and return specialist Mecole Hardman Jr. late in the season, with the former Kansas City Chiefs star giving them an immediate boost. But Hardman also missed significant time due to injury, and one analyst believes he will need to prove his value to the team to earn a roster spot at the end of the summer.
Mecole Hardman Jr. Must Make Impact on Special Teams
Reporter Sean Murphy of SB Nation’s Buffalo Rumblings noted that Hardman will be competing with several other receivers for one of the final spots on the depth chart. He noted that the only roster locks for the Bills are Khalil Shakir, DJ Moore, and rookie Skyler Bell, with three or four spots behind them up for grabs and other veterans like Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer potentially hitting the trade block.
Murphy suggested that Hardman will need to stand out on special teams if he wants to differentiate himself.
“If Hardman Jr. wants to pull a Macho Man and make everyone realize that he is, in fact, the cream of the crop, he’ll have to offer consistency in the return game, especially as a punt returner,” Murphy wrote. “With Ray Davis emerging as an All-Pro kickoff returner last year, the Bills have far less need there than they did last season. Hardman Jr. can make the team by consistently fielding punts and putting Buffalo’s offense in a position to succeed.”
Murphy added that it might not be too difficult to give the Bills a boost in their punt return game.
“That seems like a fairly low bar to clear, but the Bills averaged just 6.5 yards per punt return as a team last year,” Murphy wrote. “Only the Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys averaged less. Quarterback Josh Allen might be Superman, but it wouldn’t kill the Bills to give him some advantageous field position via something mundane like a quality punt return every now and then.”
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