The Buffalo Bills have serious defensive issues to address — trading one struggling but talented offensive player might help.
Fox Sports put veteran Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer on its list of the NFL’s “Top Trade Candidates” heading into Week 7, just a few weeks from the NFL’s trade deadline on November 10.
“The Bills acquired Palmer with high hopes for what he could do in the offense, but basically everyone else has emerged while he has not,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Henry McKenna wrote on X. “D.J. Moore is a crucial piece when healthy. Keon Coleman is finally emerging. Khalil Shakir is steady Eddie. And rookie Skyler Bell might soon earn playing time. That makes Palmer expendable.”
Bills Drastically Overpaid for WR Josh Palmer
The Bills drastically overvalued Palmer in free agency before the 2025 season, signing him to a 3-year, $30 million contract. Palmer responded with his worst season yet — 33 receptions for 304 yards and no touchdowns, while missing 5 games with injuries.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox petitioned for the Bills to try to deal Palmer this offseason.
“While it’s worth noting that (Palmer) was limited by ankle and knee injuries, his production left plenty to be desired,” Knox wrote on August 10. “While Buffalo couldn’t reasonably expect a big return for Palmer in a trade, it could get something from a receiver-needy team to go with some valuable cap savings. The Bills have just over $10 million in cap space, and they could save $10.2 million in cap room by trading Palmer.”
While the Bills might usually try to get a Day 3 pick back for Palmer, they might want to see if they can swing a defensive starter in return — hopefully a cornerback.
Josh Palmer: Rare Canadian to Make NFL Roster
Palmer, 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, is the rare Canadian to make an NFL roster.
He starred in high school in Ontario before transferring to high school football powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — the same school that produced Michael Irvin, Joey Bosa, and Nick Bosa — for his final 2 seasons.
Palmer was a 3-star recruit and landed at Tennessee, where he seemed on the verge of stardom until the pandemic shortened his senior season to 9 games in 2020.
In 4 seasons, Palmer never had more than 500 receiving yards in a single year, but was still drafted in the 3rd round (No. 77 overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Palmer proved he could be a reliable WR2 over his first 4 seasons behind Chargers star Keenan Allen, including a career-high 72 receptions for 769 yards in 2022.
Over 4 seasons, Palmer averaged 51 receptions for 571 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns. Those are respectable numbers for a WR3 — even more so for Palmer, given that he missed 9 games due to injuries in 2023 and 2024.
‘Expendable’ Buffalo Bills WR Named NFL’s Top Trade Candidate