Bills Should Be Highly Concerned by WR Joshua Palmer's OTAs Injury Status

It's Year 2 for Joshua Palmer and the Buffalo Bills. And just like 2025, there might be a failure to launch for the Canadian-born wide receiver.

Palmer's 2025 season was one to forget. He posted 22 catches for 303 yards and no touchdowns, all career lows.

Since then, he has become an afterthought in the receiver room, too. The Bills traded for D.J. Moore and added Skyler Bell in the NFL Draft. Both appear on the verge of taking major snaps away from the sixth-year WR.

And as the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. Three weeks into OTA sessions, Buffalo has to be concerned, seeing that Palmer is still nursing injuries from last season this deep into the offseason.

On Tuesday, Palmer was spotted working off to the side with a trainer as opposed to participating with his position group.

Bills WR Josh Palmer spent Tuesday working off to the side with a trainer. Unclear the exact injury he's dealing with. pic.twitter.com/WcoKLgwrao
— Carl Jones (@Jones11_) May 26, 2026

Palmer's injury timeline

The former Chargers' wideout was initially injured in 2025 with a knee injury and a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for five games. Palmer would return for the Bills' final six regular-season games, before being put on Injured Reserve before Buffalo's Wild Card playoff game.

Of course, players like Michael Hoecht, who is coming off an Achilles tendon injury, are traditionally on the sidelines at OTAs working with trainers. But with no public indication that Palmer also went through a surgical procedure like Hoecht, there has to be concern about the WR is not being fully healthy yet.

No reports say that Palmer sustained these injuries this offseason. So, especially factoring in that these injuries put him on the shelf over five months ago, it's clear that these injuries are lingering.

Recent injury history

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (5) makes a catch during the first half of the game at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The injuries have begun to pile up for Palmer. After missing just one game over his first two seasons, Palmer has missed 14 games since 2023.

He was limited to 10 games in 2023 due to a knee sprain. That knee would give him more issues in 2024. And although it did not cost him any games, he did end up missing two games due to calf and elbow injuries, as well as a foot injury that took him out for the 2024 season finale.

There's no question Palmer can be a valuable piece in the Buffalo passing attack when healthy. Why else would Brandon Beane have paid him a $29 million deal last offseason?

But the question is, will he even be healthy enough to consistently contribute to the Bills' offense?

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