Bills Must Trade 2025 All-Pro After Five-Snap Outing Against Chargers

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis' usage through the first two weeks gave the impression that he was an afterthought in new head coach Joe Brady's mind, but their game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers took that thinking to another level.

With Ty Johnson making his season debut after a hamstring injury kept him out for the season's first two games, Davis' role was even more limited on Sunday. That also expanded to special teams.

With this thinking, it would make sense for general manager Brandon Beane to trade Davis for some value, similarly to how he traded Zack Moss to the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 after he was a healthy scratch in back-to-back contests.

Ray Davis' diminishing role

Bills snap counts vs. Chargers. pic.twitter.com/fzMonRM3SZ
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) September 28, 2026

Davis got his only carry of the season so far, a three-yard run in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. He was on the field for five offensive snaps in that game, and he also returned two kickoffs for 51 yards.

In the Bills' home opener against the Detroit Lions on September 17, Davis was on the field for 10 snaps, but did not register a touch on 10 snaps. He also returned a lone kickoff for 31 yards.

Finally, on Sunday against the Chargers, Davis' offensive snap count dropped back to five thanks to Johnson's return, and he did not return a single kickoff. However, an Alec Anderson holding penalty negated his lone carry.

Sep 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Bills running back Ray Davis (7) looks on during warm-ups prior to the game against the Chargers at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Davis' responsibilities in the first two weeks have gone to two other players, and it starts on offense with Johnson. He was second on the Bills with four receptions for 50 yards on 15 snaps on Sunday, and one of those was a touchdown that was called back due to a holding penalty.

Meanwhile, on special teams, opponents have opted to kick off the ball to first-year Bill Greg Dortch instead of Davis. Dortch, who was signed to the 53-man roster on Friday, has averaged 28.1 yards per return on eight returns, which is 11th among 47 qualified returners. It's not Davis' league-leading mark of 30.4 from 2025, but it's serviceable.

With Dortch and Johnson looking like their roles could expand more long-term, Buffalo should look at what Davis is worth.

What could the Bills get in return?

Buffalo sent Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts in 2022 to acquire another running back in Nyheim Hines, and Davis could demand at least that given that he was Buffalo's lone first-team All-Pro in 2025 as a kick returner.

Davis is in his third season in the NFL and Moss was in his third season when he was traded, which aligns the two in such a manner that a Davis trade may be possible.

Even though the Bills are 3-0, they should think long and hard about the future of their former fourth-round pick from 2024.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

Add us as a preferred source on Google