4 Bills' players, including 3 WRs, with most at stake vs. Bears in Preseason Week 2

As Buffalo Bills' fans are forced to wait all day for a Sunday night, even though it's only August 17, there will be multiple players worth watching when the Bills meet the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in the next-to-last game on the NFL Preseason Week 2 slate.

"We're getting closer, like for all these guys who have been out a significant amount of time, we're getting closer and closer to the start of the season. No one's going to feel sorry for us, so we got to get ready to go. So, time's running out," said head coach Sean McDermott.

As the summer winds down, McDermott and Co. have multiple important decisions to make. Ideally, they'll be able to get a good enough look at everyone, but a number of players have lacked availability in recent weeks.

In particular, four of those players who have spent time on the sideline this summer need to show up sooner than later.

With the two teams slated to kick off at 8 p.m. ET, here are four Bills' players who should approach Sunday's preseason opportunity with a strong sense of urgency or risk losing ground in the race to solidify their roster status.

S Cole Bishop

Bishop was the presumed favorite to claim the starting safety job next to veteran Taylor Rapp, but the 2024 second-round draft pick has missed valuable developmental reps for the second straight summer.

“There is a piece of this that, hey, we don't know because we haven't seen enough at this point. So it's a little bit of a question mark right now in terms of the position overall," said McDermott.

Bishop was on the field alongside Rapp, who was also banged up recently, for 7-on-7 team drills against the Bears on Friday. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the Bills' scheme, it's important for Bishop to develop a familiarity with his on-field teammates.

Bills defensive back,Cole Bishop, pushes back Javon Solomon during a drill on opening day of the Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford on July 23, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

WR Elijah Moore

Moore has missed a day here and there, but, for the most part, his availability has been only a minor issue. Still, the free-agent addition hasn't been overly noticeable this summer following an impressive showing during OTAs.

Although it appeared he was destined for Buffalo's WR5 role, his status has become somewhat murky recently.

After being held out of Wednesday's practice in Orchard Park, Moore impressed during Friday's joint session. Allen connected with Moore on multiple passes, including a nice catch-and-long-run.

Bills wide receiver Elijah Moore pulls in a pass during position drills during day three of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Friday, July 25, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

WR Curtis Samuel

Samuel's two playoff touchdowns, coupled with a steep dead salary cap charge, seemed to make him a roster lock heading into training camp. While it's still a longshot that the Bills will pay him to not play for them, his latest injury may have opened the door to such a possibility.

"An important piece. He's been out really most of camp, so the urgency needs to be there for all these guys, and Curtis no different. We need to see how he fits into our offense this year, and availability is important,” said McDermott prior to the team's August 12 practice in Orchard Park.

The good news is that Samuel, who has been nursing a hamstring pull, returned to action in a limited capacity at Friday's joint practice. Now, it's time to see if he's ready to contribute in a gameday setting.

Curtis Samuel at camp — Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel eyes in a pass during position drills during day three of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Friday, July 25, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

WR Tyrell Shavers

Shavers has been seemingly fighting through discomfort since injuring his ankle to the extent of being carted off during a July 27 practice. He returned on July 31 and has noticeably battled hard since.

Shavers produced the team's top offensive highlight during the August 9 preseason opener, hauling in a 58-yard bomb to set up a field goal on the final snap of the first half.

Meanwhile, against the Bears on Friday, Shavers made an impressive play in punt coverage, handling two opposing players and flexing to his teammates afterwards. The special teams component will go a long way in convincing the Bills to keep a sixth WR on the 53-man roster.

Run out the clock? Nah, Trubisky lets it rip to Tyrell Shavers. 58 yards!

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