Bills Place Curtis Samuel On IR, Promote WR Gabe Davis
The Bills swapped wide receivers on their active roster on Friday by placing Curtis Samuel on injured reserve and signing Gabe Davis from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Samuel was sidelined with knee and elbow injuries in Week 12, his fifth absence of the season after missing Weeks 1 through 4. He has only logged 81 receiving yards in six games despite a 40% snap share when active. This is his second disappointing campaign in a row after signing in Buffalo during the 2024 offseason. His three-year, $24MM contract has not aged well and he will likely be released as a cap casualty in the offseason. A pre-June 1 cut would save $6.275MM against the Bills’ 2026 salary cap with $3.45MM in dead money, per OverTheCap. A release after June 1 would save $8MM in 2026 with $1.725MM of dead money in 2026 and 2027.
Davis reunited with the Bills just before the start of the regular season, but did not see the field until second-year wideout Keon Coleman was benched in Week 11. Davis has started the last two games and caught four of his six targets for 62 yards on 59 snaps. His promotion to the 53-man roster indicates that he will continue to feature in Buffalo’s passing game for the rest of the season.
The Bills will also be without a number of key starters for their Week 13 matchup against the Steelers. Left tackle Dion Dawkins, right tackle Spencer Brown, and linebacker Terrel Bernard will all be sidelined on Sunday, according to the team’s injury report.
Dawkins briefly left last week’s game against the Texans to be checked for a concussion, but was cleared to return. After the game, however, symptoms reappeared, forcing the nine-year veteran into concussion protocol. He did not participate in practice this week.
Brown also went down in Week 12. His shoulder injury happened after Dawkins returned to the game; both tackles were replaced by swing tackle Ryan Van Demark in their respective absences. Van Demark will likely start at left tackle, which will set up rookie Chase Lundt to make his first career start at right tackle. The sixth-round pick has made one appearance this season, a three-snap effort in Week 4.
Bernard suffered an elbow injury in Houston, which will likely result in an uptick in work for Shaq Thompson and Dorian Williams. Bernard is tied for the most solo tackles and tackles for loss on the Bills defense.
Though Brown and Bernard could miss multiple games with their injuries, they are not expected to land on injured reserve, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.
Bills T Spencer Brown, LB Terrel Bernard Could Hit IR
The Bills got roughed up in a Thursday night loss in Houston and could see two starters head to injured reserve, as a result. With just six weeks left in the season, Buffalo could potentially lose right tackle Spencer Brown and linebacker Terrel Bernard for at least four weeks as head coach Sean McDermott disclosed today that IR could be a possibility for both players, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. 
After a night in which the Bills gave up eight sacks, the prospect of losing one of their bookend tackles is a scary one. And while Brown is more well-regarded for his run blocking abilities, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark didn’t fare much better against the Texans’ pass rush as he filled in for Brown last night. Buscaglia noted that Brown was spotted in a sling following the loss in Houston, and Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News provided the update today that Brown’s shoulder injury would require further evaluation.
Based on McDermott’s comments today, the result of the evaluation could end Brown’s season. A placement on IR would require at least a four-week absence, giving Brown a chance to come back in Week 17 at the earliest. If Brown’s shoulder isn’t able to heal in that time, his regular season contributions may be done, and he could be out for a potential postseason run, as well. This would be a first for Brown, who, in his young career, has never had a stint on IR.
Since missing two separate two-week stretches as a rookie, Brown only sat out of four games over the next four seasons. This reliability and run-blocking prowess earned Brown the four-year, $72MM extension he signed before the final year of his rookie contract last year. For whatever time Brown ends up missing, Van Demark will likely step in to start. The fourth-year undrafted UConn alum has three starts for Buffalo in the past two seasons.
Playing through an ankle injury that’s been nagging him over the past five weeks, Bernard hurt his elbow in last night’s game and was described as “week-to-week” by Skurski. The former third-round pick out of Baylor has been a leading tackler for the team over the last three years. After leading the team with 143 in his first year as a full-time starter in 2023, he finished second on the team last year despite missing four games. He’s currently second on the team behind safety Cole Bishop, who’s played one more contest than Bernard.
Luckily for Buffalo, the defense saw veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson return to the field last night after missing three weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury. If Bernard is out for any amount of time, Thompson is a strong candidate to step in amongst starters Matt Milano and Dorian Williams in the front seven.
The team hasn’t resigned to four-week absences for these two starters just yet, though. While an IR placement remains a possibility for both players, there’s a chance both could avoid the lengthy absence. Regardless, despite having a week and half of rest before their next contest, McDermott told reporters that “it doesn’t look great” for Brown and Bernard’s chances of playing in Week 13.
NFL Minor Transactions: 7/31/25
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Henry Black
- Waived: WR Makai Polk
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Kameron Cline
- Waived/injured: DE Hayden Harris
- Activated from active/PUP: RT Spencer Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Chase Cota
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Garrett Nelson
- Reverted to IR: LB Johnny Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Tre Herndon, CB Duke Shelley
- Released: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
- Placed on IR: CB David Long Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from active/PUP: LB Dennis Gardeck
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Matt Nelson
- Waived/injured: DE Alex Williams
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP: WR Mack Hollins
- Placed on IR: OT Yasir Durant
New Orleans Saints
-
- Signed: P Kai Kroeger
- Waived: QB Hunter Dekkers
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from active/NFI: G Isaac Seumalo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Carter Bradley, WR Marquez Callaway, WR Andy Isabella
- Released: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Waived: OL Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Malik Knowles, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Ben Bartch
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Keydrain Calligan
- Waived: DT Thor Griffith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaden Smith
- Waived/injured: S Marcus Banks, RB D.J. Williams
Washington Commanders
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Tim McKay
The Colts added some experienced cornerback depth today in Tre Herndon and Duke Shelley. Herndon had a long stint in Jacksonville, starting 34 of his 83 appearances with the organization. Shelley has bounced around the league a bit, with his longest stint coming in Chicago between 2019 and 2021. Both players were limited to one appearance each during the 2024 campaign.
The 49ers made a long list of moves today, most notably to their wide receiver depth. Marquez Callaway was limited to two games in Tampa Bay last season, but he compiled 698 receiving yards and six touchdowns as recently as 2021. Andy Isabella has only gotten into 13 total games over the past four years, hauling in five receptions over that span. They’ll be taking the roster spots previously held by former Bears starter Equanimeous St. Brown and former Kansas State standout Malik Knowles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/25
With training camps kicking off around the NFL, teams continue to make adjustments to their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Matt Sokol, WR David White
- Waived: WR Kelly Akharaiyi, P Jake Camarda
- Placed on active/PUP: OT Spencer Brown, C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
- Placed on active/NFI: TE Dawson Knox
- Activated from active/PUP: DE Landon Jackson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Tyler Mabry
- Released/failed physical: LB Josey Jewell (story)
- Placed on active/NFI: DT Bobby Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DT Dante Barnett
- Placed on active/NFI: RB Zack Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Jaelen Gill
- Placed on active/PUP: DT Mike Hall Jr., QB Deshaun Watson
- Placed on active/NFI: WR David Bell
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: K Mark McNamee
Houston Texans
- Waived: CB Keydrain Calligan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on active/PUP: DT Maason Smith
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, G Atonio Mafi, WR Seth Williams
- Waived: CB Mello Dotson, WR Zakhair Franklin, WR Key’Shawn Smith, LB Jailin Walker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: OT Savion Washington
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Daniel Brunskill
- Waived: QB Brett Gabbert
- Placed on active/PUP: OL Liam Eichenberg, TE Darren Waller
- Placed on active/NFI: S Ifeatu Melifonwu
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on active/PUP: TE Taysom Hill, TE Foster Moreau
- Placed on reserve/retired: TE Dallin Holker, S Tyrann Mathieu (story)
New York Giants
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
- Waived/failed physical: S Anthony Johnson Jr.
- Placed on active/PUP: RB Eric Gray, LT Andrew Thomas
- Placed on active/NFI: LB Victor Dimukeje
New York Jets
- Waived: OT Obinna Eze
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on active/PUP: OT Silas Dzansi, WR Chris Godwin, G Sua Opeta, QB Michael Pratt, OT Tristan Wirfs
- Placed on active/NFI: LB Anthony Walker
- Placed on active/non-football illness: DL Desmond Watson
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on active/PUP: C Lloyd Cushenberry, CB L’Jarius Sneed
Washington Commanders
- Waived/NFI: RB Michael Wiley
AFC Contract Details: Brown, Ramsey, Heyward, Carter, Bell
Here are some details on recent contracts reached around the NFL:
- Spencer Brown, T (Bills): Four years, $72MM. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 provided some contract details on Brown’s recent extension. The deal comes with a $6.4MM signing bonus and a $16MM option bonus that will pay out in 2025. An additional $7.1MM roster bonus will hit in 2026. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia added the distinction that most of Brown’s $7.14MM base salary in 2026 will be vested in 2025.
- Jalen Ramsey, CB (Dolphins): Three years, $72.3MM. Per OvertheCap.com, Ramsey’s new extension comes with $24.24MM guaranteed at signing. The deal also contains a guaranteed 2025 roster bonus of $4MM paid in March and a guaranteed 2025 option bonus of $18.98MM due in Week 1 of next year. He can receive option bonuses of $8.14MM and $8.84MM in 2026 and 2027, respectively, and roster bonuses of $2MM from 2026 to 2028.
- Cameron Heyward, DT (Steelers): Two years, $29MM. While we had mentioned that most of Heyward’s guarantees came in the form of his signing bonus, OvertheCap.com shows us that the remaining guaranteed money comes from Heyward’s 2024 base salary of $1.3MM. Heyward can earn roster bonuses of $13.45MM in 2025 and $12.95MM in 2026.
- Michael Carter II, CB (Jets): Three years, $30.75MM. ESPN’s Rich Cimini tells us that Carter’s deal comes with a $6MM signing bonus that is included in the contract’s $13MM of guaranteed money at signing. There’s an additional $5.4MM guaranteed for injury. The deal also contains a guaranteed 2025 option bonus of $4MM.
- David Bell, WR (Browns): Two years, $2.44MM. Wilson tells us that Bell’s contract has base salaries of $1.11MM and $1.34MM. Bell can earn an additional $50K in a workout bonus in 2025.
Bills Extend RT Spencer Brown
SEPTEMBER 10: This extension checks in at four years and $72MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. It will provide the fourth-year RT $45MM guaranteed. Despite the recent record-setting cap spike, this only makes Brown the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid player at his position. In terms of guarantees, Brown’s deal ranks sixth among RTs. Still, Brown did quite well by scoring a deal that betters — AAV-wise, at least — high-end 2023 RT signees Mike McGlinchey and Terence Steele.
SEPTEMBER 6: Another extension has been worked out in time for the start of the season. Right tackle Spencer Brown has agreed to a four-year deal Bills deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills]
Brown was set to enter 2024 as a pending free agent. Instead, he will complete his rookie contract knowing he will remain a staple of Buffalo’s offensive line for years to come. As a result of this news, the 26-year-old is under team control through the 2028 campaign.
Given the recent report indicating the Bills hoped to get a deal done with Brown before the season, today’s news comes as no surprise. Buffalo has also taken care of an important piece of financial business well before next spring, by which point Brown may have upped his value with another strong season. He and left tackle Dion Dawkins are both on the books for the foreseeable future and they will be counted on as impactful contributors up front.
Brown’s first two seasons included signficant playing time, but they did not draw strong PFF reviews. The Northern Iowa product took a step forward in that regard last season, with his run blocking standing out in particular. The midseason change from Ken Dorsey to Joe Brady as offensive coordinator led to a ground-based approach to close out the year. If that remains the case, Brown could be in position to continue developing (although improvement in pass protection will be a priority as his career continues).
Buffalo has Dawkins, Brown, along with the interior trio of David Edwards, Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence still intact from last season. That continuity along the O-line will be welcomed to start the 2024 season, one in which the team’s receiver room will look much different. How well the Bills’ passing attack fares with the new skill position pieces in place will be worth watching closely, but an effective unit up front will aid in that regard.
The right tackle market has seen upward movement in recent years, and for a time this offseason Penei Sewell had an extension which dwarfed all those for blindside blockers. That $28MM-per-season Lions accord will no doubt remain well ahead of Brown’s compensation on his second Bills pact, but the latter has nonetheless set himself up for a notable raise moving forward.
Bills Eyeing Extension For RT Spencer Brown
A number of teams have worked out extensions in recent days with Week 1 looming as an artificial deadline. In the case of Spencer Brown and Buffalo, a deal could be coming in the near future.
The Bills could work out a last-minute extension with their right tackle, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. Brown is currently set to play out the final year of his rookie contract before becoming one of the latest players to benefit from the upward movement in the tackle market (on both the left and right side of the ball). The former third-rounder has started all but three games in his Buffalo tenure.
Questions related to the offensive line have been a constant for much of the Josh Allen era, but that unit is in a strong place entering 2024. The midseason firing of Ken Dorsey led to Joe Brady taking over as offensive coordinator, and that resulted in a new emphasis being placed on the run game. The transition proved helpful for Brown, given his skillset, and the 26-year-old delivered a career-best 70.1 PFF grade in 2023. That figure ranked 32nd amongst qualifying tackles.
Brown’s first two seasons were not nearly as well-regarded in terms of PFF evaluation, although the five sacks he was charged with in 2023 matched the total from his 2021 and ’22 performances. Nevertheless, a second contract would represent a commitment on the Bills’ part in keeping Brown in place now and into the future. Buffalo lost some interior O-line depth by trading away Ryan Bates, but an offseason filled with cap-related departures has the team in line to experience considerable continuity up front.
Buffalo worked out an extension with left tackle Dion Dawkins, and he is on the books through 2029 as a result. David Edwards was retained on a two-year, $6MM pact which yield cost-effective starting play at the left guard spot. Right guard O’Cyrus Torrence remains under team control for years to come via his rookie contract, while center Connor McGovern is still attached to a $7.45MM-per-year pact. That mix of big-ticket investments and less expensive contracts will be kept in mind as the Bills consider a Brown extension.
The right tackle spot is led financially by Penei Sewell, who landed a Lions deal averaging $28MM per year this offseason. He is one of three players at that position with an AAV of $20MM or more, while Mike Onwenu‘s new Patriots contract falls just short at $19MM. Brown’s track record has him unlikely to reach that level on a second Bills pact, of course, but a notable raise could nevertheless be in store if contract talks over the next few days were to produce an agreement.
AFC East Notes: Bills, Hackett, Dolphins
Terry and Kim Pegula shared equal ownership of the Bills upon buying the team in 2014, but the heart attack Kim suffered in June 2022 has brought a belated update to that status. A February 2023 Terry Pegula filing led to Kim being ruled incapacitated and her husband serving as her guardian, according to The Athletic’s Tim Graham (subscription required). Kim Pegula is not expected to be back with the Bills, Graham reports. Days after the ruling, Laura Pegula — Terry’s daughter from his first marriage — represented the Bills at owners meetings. Soon after, Terry transferred a “small percentage” of the team to Laura to comply with NFL rules regarding succession planning, Graham adds.
While this is an obviously concerning update regarding the health of Kim Pegula, 54, Graham indicates many Bills employees are in the dark about her prognosis and Laura Pegula’s role. Each May, teams are required to have succession plans in place. Previously, Kim was set to act as Bills principal owner as a bridge to the couple’s children; Terry is 73. The succession setup may soon become an issue. Bills employees had assumed tennis prodigy Jessica Pegula, Kim’s oldest child and the WTA’s No. 5-ranked player, and her husband, Taylor Gahagen, would eventually run the team. Jessica wrote a Players’ Tribune piece about her mother’s condition in February 2023, informing the public Kim had suffered brain damage from the heart attack. Months after that column, Graham reports Gahagen had been removed from his position as Bills director of corporate development and Laura had been given an equity stake in the franchise.
Remaining in place as CEO of the Bills and Buffalo Sabres, Terry Pegula has not answered questions publicly about the team since 2019. This update certainly calls into question, particularly in light of how the Broncos ended up being sold, the 11th-year owner’s succession view. Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- Nathaniel Hackett believes, despite reports the Jets attempted to have some his power stripped this offseason, Robert Saleh still has full confidence in him as OC. “I don’t know what those reports are and I don’t know where their sources came from,” Hackett said, via SNY. “I know what happened with us. It was great. We had a lot of conversations, got to talk to a lot of different people. It’s that simple. It’s already been addressed. … We had a lot of changes, so we were talking to a lot of people.” No known change to the Jets’ offensive plan came about this offseason, though the team has added some new position coaches. Aaron Rodgers has stumped for Hackett on many occasions, and the duo’s relationship from their Green Bay days is largely why the embattled play-caller remains in place. After a rough year as Broncos HC and losing Rodgers four plays into his debut as Jets OC, Hackett joins Saleh and GM Joe Douglas on the hot seat.
- The Dolphins will pick up $18.5MM in cap space June 2, after the funds from the Xavien Howard cut become available. The team will not look to free agency to make immediate upgrades, per Mike McDaniel. The third-year Dolphins coach said (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) the team — which lost key starters like Howard, Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt and Jerome Baker this offseason — is “not on the hunt” for FA help.
- Bills right tackle Spencer Brown will not participate fully in OTAs due to undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Sean McDermott said (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). The Bills battled injuries at many positions last season, but they were healthy along their offensive front. Brown, who has been the team’s primary RT starter since his 2021 rookie year, played all 17 Buffalo games in 2023.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.
Atlanta Falcons
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
- OL Josh Miles
Signed to practice squad:
- DB Micah Abernathy, DB Natrone Brooks, DL Timmy Horne, RB Godwin Igwebuike, DL LaCale London, OL Justin Shaffer, WR Matthew Sexton, OL Tyler Vrabel, OL Barry Wesley, LB Andre Smith, TE Parker Hesse, TE Tucker Fisk, WR Xavier Malone, DL Kemoko Turay
Carolina Panthers
Claimed:
- LB Claudin Cherelus, DB D’Shawn Jamison, T Calvin Throckmorton
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- OL Deonte Brown, RB Spencer Brown, OL J.D. DiRenzo, OL Justin McCray, OLB Eku Leota, CB Mark Milton, DB Eric Rowe, T David Sharpe, DT Taylor Stallworth, OLB Jordan Thomas, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver, DT Raequan Williams
New Orleans Saints
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Jonathan Abram, WR Lynne Bowden, LB Ryan Connelly, WR Shaquan Davis, OL Mark Evans, DT Jack Heflin, CB Anthony Johnson, WR Jontre Kirklin, G Tommy Kraemer, DE Niko Lalos, RB Ellis Marriweather, T Storm Norton, LB Anfernee Orji, DE Kyle Phillips, LB Jaylon Smith (story), LB Ty Summers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, DL C.J. Brewer, OL Silas Dzansi, OL Luke Haggard, CB Keenan Isaac, WR Cephus Johnson, S Richard LeCounte, WR Ryan Miller, WR David Moore, T Raiqwon O’Neal, OLB Jose Ramirez, LB J.J. Russell, TE Tanner Taula, QB John Wolford
Panthers Reduce Roster To 53
The Panthers cut down their roster to 53 players today, but in the process, they ruled out a key offensive lineman for at least a month:
Released:
- OL Michael Jordan
- OL Justin McCray
- S Eric Rowe
- WR Javon Wims
Waived:
- OL Deonte Brown
- RB Spencer Brown
- OL JD Direnzo
- LB Ace Eley
- LB Kobe Jones
- LB Eku Leota
- CB Mac McCain
- CB Herb Miller
- CB Mark Milton
- WR Shi Smith
- CB Keith Taylor
- OL Sam Tecklenburg
- LB Jordan Thomas
- CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
- WR Josh Vann
- DL Raequan Williams
Placed on PUP:
Placed on IR:
Austin Corbett continues to rehab from a torn ACL and has been sitting on PUP throughout the preseason. The transaction means the starting guard can’t be activated to the active roster until Week 5, but he may need longer to get into form. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe tweets that the team is hoping to have him back midway through the season. Rookie Chandler Zavala will likely slide into the starting lineup while Corbett is sidelined.
Eric Rowe has 100 games of experience in stints with the Eagles, Patriots, and Dolphins. He’s spent the past four seasons in Miami, starting 39 of his 63 appearances. This included a 2022 campaign where he got into 14 games (six starts), finishing with 56 tackles and a pair of sacks. The two-time Super Bowl champ joined the Panthers back in April.