As the Bills continue to move toward cap compliance, they are releasing another veteran. Following the Taron Johnson cut, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Buffalo is moving on from Curtis Samuel.
This has been expected, as the veteran wide receiver has not lived up to expectations with the team. Releasing Samuel will save just more than $6MM in cap space.
The Bills gave Samuel a three-year, $24MM contract in free agency; the 2024 deal did not pan out as the team has whiffed on some wide receiver investments over the past two years. One of many ex-Panthers to come through Buffalo during Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott‘s time in western New York, Samuel totaled just 38 receptions for 334 yards over two seasons. He tallied 81 yards in 2025.
Samuel, 29, may have resided on Buffalo’s roster bubble last year were it not for a fully guaranteed 2025 salary. The Bills indeed kept the slot receiver but later placed him on IR due to elbow and knee injuries. Although the Bills used an IR activation on Samuel, he was a nonfactor for a team that struggled to generate wide receiver production. The Bills have since agreed to acquire ex-Samuel Panthers teammate D.J. Moore via trade.
Playing for Joe Brady in Carolina and Buffalo, Samuel initially relocated from Charlotte to Washington in free agency back in 2021. Samuel played out a three-year, $34.5MM Commanders deal, with two solid seasons alongside Terry McLaurin paving a path to Buffalo. Samuel eclipsed 600 receiving yards in 2022 and ’23, despite the Commanders’ QB troubles in those years, and became an attractive free agent. The former second-rounder’s 2026 market will not rival his 2024 interest.
Shrewd thinking changing one 30 year old WR another at the lowly cost of a 2nd round pick.
I dont feel Moore was worth a 2nd round pick but hopefully he proves me wrong catching bullets from Allen … Is Coleman going to get traded or hopefully motivated to get his catches?