Bills Week 1 Inactives vs. Texans Include Fan Favorite, Former Second-Round Pick

Figuring out the 53-man roster and 17-man practice squad was just the first step for the Buffalo Bills. With those two units figured out, they now must decide who they take into each regular season game, which is often a game in itself.

Their decisions begin with their weekly practice squad elevations, which Buffalo announced on Saturday. The Bills will bring up wide receiver/kick returner Greg Dortch, who is expected to handle the return duties against the Houston Texans. Also being elevated was running back Frank Gore Jr. His promotion suggests backup running back Ty Johnson, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, won't be able to play.

With the Bills now at 55 players, they need to decide who will be on the gameday roster. Teams are allowed to dress 48 players for the game, meaning seven will need to sit out. Here's a look at which players will be inactive as the Bills take on the Texans.

Buffalo Bills inactive list

Bills T.J. Sanders gets ready to run a drill during the Return of the Blue and Red practice at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ty Johnson, RB (Hamstring)
Skyler Bell, WR
Ar'maj Reed-Adams, G
Jude Bowry, OT
T.J. Sanders, DT (Knee)
Mike Danna, EDGE
Jalon Kilgore, S

The biggest name on the list, outside of Johnson, is rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell. The fourth-round pick was an instant fan favorite after being selected out of Connecticut. Bell has a skill set that's perfectly suited for Joe Brady's offense, and had a solid debut in his lone preseason game, catching seven passes for 49 yards. Unfortunately, fans have to wait for his regular season debut as Bell is sitting out with DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer all ahead of him.

Also out is defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, a second-round pick from 2025 who is dealing with a knee issue. Sanders has yet to live up to his draft status and seemed ready to benefit from the shift in philosophy under Jim Leonhard. We will have to wait until Week 2 at least to see if he can take advantage.

Houston Texans inactive list

Houston Texans tight end Brevin Jordan during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the Texans, here's a look at their inactive players for Week 1:

Nate Thomas, OT
Febechi Nwaiwu , G
Brevin Jordan, TE
Aiden Fisher, LB
Jaden Crumedy, DT
Collin Wright, CB

Greg Dortch is poised for a big role

Detroit Lions wide receiver Greg Dortch practices during training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest names on the Buffalo practice squad was Dortch, who was surprisingly waived by the Detroit Lions following the preseason. After Buffalo moved on from Mecole Hardman Jr., who had multiple dropped passes during the preseason, Dortch felt like the perfect addition. That's why I wrote about him being in line for a major role this year, despite not starting on the active roster.

Dortch spent the past five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before signing with Detroit this year. He had 31 kick returns for 811 yards (26.2 yards per return) and 16 punt returns for 185 yards (11.6 yards per return) in 2025. He could also be a factor on offense after recording 29 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He was especially effective after the catch, recording an average of 6.9 yards per return.

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