Bills host three defensive ends for tryouts while standing pat at NFL trade deadline

The Buffalo Bills invited two former players back for tryouts along with a Nebraska poduct who was cut by the Denver Broncos last week.

Oct 15, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA;Buffalo Bills defensive end Kingsley Jonathan (59) against New York Giants running back Eric Gray (20) | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills lost defensive lineman Michael Hoecht to a season-ending injury in Week 9, creating the need for a reinforcement up front.

While declining to trade for a defensive end, or anyone for that matter, prior to Tuesday's NFL deadline, the Bills took a look at three available defensive ends on the free-agent market.

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Buffalo hosted Casey Toohill, Kingsley Jonathan and Garrett Nelson for tryouts in Orchard Park, according to the NFL's daily transactions report. While Toohill and Jonathan have both previously suited up for the Bills prior to this season, Nelson has yet to play in an NFL regular season game.

Casey Toohill

Toohill, a 2020 Philadelphia Eagles' seventh-round draft pick, signed a one-year contract with the Bills in March 2024. He appeared in the first 13 games last season before being released in mid-December. Buffalo subsequently added him to the practice squad.

Landing with the Houston Texans as a free agent this past spring, Toohill failed to survive roster cutdown day. The reserve defensive end has made 71 career appearances, including 15 starts. He has 100 tackles and 8.0 sacks to his credit.

In 2024, Toohill played 249 defensive snaps for the Bills along with 135 special teams reps. He made 1.0 sack and 20 tackles.

Sep 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) carries the ball as Buffalo Bills defensive end Casey Toohill (99) defends | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Kingsley Jonathan

The Nigerian-born Jonathan signed with the Bills as an undrafted rookie out of Syracuse in 2022. Buffalo cut the rookie at the conclusion of training camp, and the Chicago Bears scooped him up. He played five games for the Bears before being released in mid-November and returning to the Bills in a practice squad capacity.

Jonathan made the Bills' active roster in 2023, making 13 regular season appearances. He spent 2024 back on the practice squad.

Jonathan joined the New York Jets for the 2025 NFL Preseason , totaling 1.0 sack and two quarterback hits. The Jets cut him loose prior to the start of the regular season, and he has yet to sign with another team.

Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) runs away from Buffalo Bills defensive end Kingsley Jonathan (59) | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Garrett Nelson

Over the first half of the 2025 season, Nelson served practice squad stints with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints. He competed in the preseason for Denver, totaling five tackles and one-half sack on defense.

The Miami Dolphins initially signed Nelson as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2023. After rookie year stints with Miami and the Cincinnati Bengals, the 6-foot-4 edge rusher migrated to the UFL in 2024.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Garrett Nelson (56) makes a sack during a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday, August 11, 2023 | JEFF ROMANCE/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK

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