Over $21M in wasted cap space likely sidelined for Bills' playoff matchup vs. Jaguars

What a waste.

Two once-significant Buffalo Bills free-agent signings have proven to be utter failures since coming to Orchard Park. And their lack of production is likely to be at the forefront of the Bills’ upcoming Wild-Card matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Joshua Palmer are both trending toward missing this weekend’s playoff tilt, placing another stain on the résumé of General Manager Brandon Beane. That’s over $21 million in cap space absent at a critical position from the field in what will be the Bills’ most crucial matchup to date.

The cost

Samuel, who has been on Injured Reserve with elbow and neck injuries, eliminating him from suiting up against the Jaguars, is playing under a $9.725 million cap hit this season, per Spotrac. After missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to an ankle injury that has hampered him throughout the year, Palmer has a less-than-slim chance of playing against Jacksonville. He carries with him an even more sizable cap hit of $11.85 million, which is sixth-highest on the team per Spotrac.

The production

While eating up a combined 7% of the team’s cap space, Palmer and Samuel have done little to impact the team’s performance on the field. Even when he has been healthy, which has been a rare occurrence, Palmer has generated an average of 1.8 receptions and 25.3 yards per game in his first season of a three-year, $29 million deal. Through two injury-plagued years since inking a three-year, $24 million contract, Samuel has appeared in just 20 games while producing 1.9 receptions and 16.7 yards per game.

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Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (1) scores a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Miscalculation

When you look at the cost compared with the production, something just doesn’t add up. To say the WR duo’s tenure in Buffalo has been a disappointment would be an understatement, as it would be to consider Beane’s investment in the two pass catchers as anything less than an abject fiasco.

As a result of the duo’s expected unavailability due to injury this week, that would leave the Bills in a pinch with just five healthy players at the position on their active roster, one of which is Keon Coleman, who has been another valueless commodity since his second-round selection a season ago.

There is a chance Buffalo could elect to elevate Mecole Hardman from the practice squad rather than dress Coleman. Still, without Palmer or Samuel providing what they were expected to when brought in by the team, the Bills have been left in a precarious position all season.

And things could come to a head at the season’s most critical juncture this weekend, when Buffalo will need all hands on deck offensively to keep up with a Jaguars’ offense that has averaged 33.6 points per game during its eight-game winning streak.

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