One Surprise Buffalo Bills Cut to Expect After OTAs

The Buffalo Bills recently kicked off their OTAs as they prepare for the 2026 season. Buffalo is in the midst of some major changes in their coaching staff with Joe Brady entering his first year as the head coach.

In addition to Brady taking over for Sean McDermott, the Bills also have a new defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard and special teams coach Jeff Rodgers. With all these changes, the players understand that the front office expects more from the team going forward.

That being the case, anyone who underperformed should be on notice. At wide receiver, it's easy to look at Keon Coleman and say he should be concerned about his spot on the roster. Coleman confirmed as much, saying 2026 is a make or break season for him after Tuesday's practice. He's not the only receiver who should be worried, however, as Joshua Palmer should be concerned about his status following the team's offseason additions.

In need of more consistent help at receiver, the Bills traded for DJ Moore, who will be their new WR1. They also added Connecticut wideout Skyler Bell in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft, a player who fits Brady's offense perfectly. Those additions could push Palmer down the depth chart, making him expendable.

Joshua Palmer struggled to find a role with the Bills in 2025

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins tackles Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Palmer was signed to a three-year, $29 million deal this past offseason following four years with the Los Angeles Chargers. Palmer was expected to move into a starting role for the Bills, but never found his footing with the team.

In 12 games, Palmer had just 22 receptions for 303 yards and failed to record a touchdown for the first time in his career. Even with injuries at the position and Coleman's inability to get in the coaching staff's good graces, Palmer still never became a consistent threat for Buffalo.

Can the Bills afford to cut Joshua Palmer?

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer makes a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The biggest question when it comes to releasing Palmer is what it would do to the Bills' salary cap. Right now, Palmer has a cap hit of $11.75 million which is the fifth-highest total on the roster, according to Over the Cap.

That fact is why we recently wrote about how contracts like the one Brandon Beane gave to Palmer are much more of an albatross than the one they gave to Josh Allen. It also proves how ludicrous it is for Beane, or anyone else, to say the team's cap restrictions have anything to do with Allen.

Getting out of Palmer's deal won't be easy either. Due to the structure, the Bills would save just $2.3 million this season while adding $9.4 million to their dead cap space. That's why we discussed Palmer as a trade candidate post-June 1, since this would save Buffalo $10.15 million. Finding a trade partner won't be easy, however, which is why Palmer remains a potential post-OTA cut, even if it hurts financially.

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