Should the Buffalo Bills Cut WR Joshua Palmer During Training Camp?

Palmer was the Bills' prized free-agent signing from a year ago, but underwhelmed during his first season in Buffalo.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (5) makes a catch against Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison (21) during the first half of the game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the questions on every Buffalo Bills fan’s mind entering training camp is whether Joshua Palmer will be cut by the team takes the field for Week 1.

The Bills’ roster is crowded with options at the wide receiver position, and with Palmer having underwhelmed so significantly this past year, many are questioning if Buffalo will bite the bullet and cut bait on their prized free-agent signing from a year ago.

That might be tough, as Palmer carries a dead-cap charge of $14.2 million in 2026, according to Spotrac, while Buffalo is cash-strapped with just $10 million in salary cap space.

There could be a way out for the Bills if they were to couple a mid-to-late-round draft pick with Palmer in an effort to trade him to a team willing to take on his $11.75 million salary this season before he has a much more modest dead cap charge of $4.8 million in 2027.

Though, based on how he performed last season, it would be surprising if there were any potential suitors for the veteran wide receiver, who is set to turn 27 during the upcoming campaign. Also, we all know how Bills president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane likes his late-round draft picks.

Palmer was a bust for Bills in Year 1

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (5) runs the ball against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) during the fourth quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The five-year veteran signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Bills on March 10, 2025, but failed to deliver the production that was expected of him during the ’26 campaign. He played just 12 games due to an ankle injury sustained during a Week 8 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 13.

During his time on the field he wasn’t very impressive, recording just 22 receptions for 303 yards while being held without a touchdown. His receiving EPA [Expected Points Added] was a career-low +5.2, as was his catch percentage [59.5%], while his average yards per target [11.1] was the second-worst rate since entering the league in 2021.

Now, with DJ Moore having been added via trade and Skyler Bell being selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Palmer could be pushed further down the depth chart and out of the conversation in just his second season with the team. Keon Coleman is also still around, creating quite the competition for a role as the team’s WR3 behind Moore and last year’s leading receiver Khalil Shakir.

Palmer could be the odd man out in the fight for targets, but he’s likely to remain on the team simply due to financial constraints. It’s a difficult position for the Bills to be in, but it’s one that’s been created by many of Beane’s ill-fated moves over the years.

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