Bills Elevate WR, RB Reinforcements for Sunday's Season Opener vs. Texans

The Buffalo Bills made two strategic moves on the eve of their season opener against the Houston Texans.

The Bills used their two weekly allotted practice squad elevations to solidify their punt return options and running back depth. Buffalo called up recently-acquired wide receiver Greg Dortch and third-year back Frank Gore Jr. for the September 13 road test in Houston.

Signing Dortch to the practice squad after the Detroit Lions surprisingly made him available, the Bills presumably targeted the veteran for his proven punt return ability. It's an area where Buffalo struggled last year, and the coaching staff was unable to settle on a primary returner during training camp after cutting veterans Mecole Hardman and Dante Pettis.

We wrote about the punt returner storyline's importance to the game's outcome earlier this week.

Expectations for Greg Dortch elevation

First-year head coach Joe Brady, who was the team's offensive coordinator in 2025, left some doubt that the Bills would use an elevation on Dortch in Week 1.

While Buffalo is comfortable with him fielding punts, Dortch needs to offer additional value on offense in order to warrant a jersey.

"The familiarity he has with Drew Terrell has kind of made life a little easier. They're able to kind of get him up to speed," said Brady after Friday's practice. "It is hard to have a guy up on gameday if he only has one role. That's what makes it a little tough."

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) runs with the ball in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As it turns out, his past experience with current Bills' wide receiver coach Drew Terrell allowed for a quicker-than-usual acclamation period.

"He's a pro. It's not like we're bringing in a rookie here that he's learning for the first time. I'm sure that when he's ready to rock, he'll go as fast as possible."

Dortch, who has 99 career punt returns, has 145 catches over 68 appearances. In the 2024 season opener against the Bills, Dortch made a team-high six receptions for 47 yards.

Why did Bills elevate Frank Gore Jr.?

If third-down running back Ty Johnson is unable to go come game time, Gore will seemingly be active as his substitute.

Johnson, who is officially questionable for Sunday, practiced in a limited capacity on Friday in Orchard Park. It was the first time he participated since leaving the Return of the Blue & Red on August 8 due to the hamstring strain. Despite the fact Johnson was engaged in heavy conditioning over the past couple weeks, it seems a little ambitious to jump right into game action after only one practice.

Gore, who is in his third season as a Bills' practice squad player, made his NFL debut in place of Johnson during the postseason this past January. His father, who has since retired as the fourth-leading rusher of all-time, played the 2019 season for Buffalo.

Aug 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (20) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second quarter preseason game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"A guy like Frank, he wants to play. He played in the playoffs last year, and we didn't blink with it. For all of these guys, they have to be ready. With these new rules, we get two call-ups every week," said Brady.

In the wild-card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gore made one six-yard reception over four snaps on offense. He logged 10 special teams reps the following week against the Denver Broncos.

The Bills will presumably decide to activate both players for Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Teams must submit their inactives list at least 90 minutes prior to the start time.

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