What New Buffalo Bills' Signing Greg Dortch Brings to Roster

While trimming their roster down to 53 players, the Buffalo Bills decided to move on from veteran wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. The move was expected after Hardman struggled throughout the preseason, with dropped passes proving to be an issue.

Hardman, who won a Super Bowl previously with the Kansas City Chiefs, didn't stand out as an option on offense, but he was in line for a big role on special teams. The eighth-year veteran entered camp as the favorite for the punt returner job.

With him out, the options were down to Ray Davis, who had an unfortunate muff in the preseason finale, and Khalil Shakir. Last year, Shakir handled the job for the majority of the season, but that's not the role they want him focused on.

The good news is that it appears Shakir won't need to worry about that in 2026 since the Bills reportedly signed wide receiver Greg Dortch to the practice squad on Monday. Ryan Talbot of Syracuse.com says he expects Dortch to be called up to the active roster once he's up to speed.

What did Bills get in Greg Dortch?

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch carries the ball for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is a homecoming of sorts for the veteran wideout as Dortch was born in Rochester, NY. He played collegiately at Wake Forest before being signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets in 2019.

He spent time with three teams during his rookie campaign, appearing in just two games with the Carolina Panthers. After spending 2020 on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad, Dortch found a home with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. Dortch spent the next five years with the Cardinals, where he appeared in 66 games with 17 starts.

Dortch was primarily used as a return man during his stint with Arizona. He had 99 punt returns for 886 yards and 75 kick returns for 1,773 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown on a return, but averaged 11.6 yards per return, which was nearly four-yards per return more than what Shakir had for Buffalo.

TALK TO 'EM DORTCH 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/UvDPXKT5mC
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 12, 2023

Greg Dortch can also help Bills on offense

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following the initial round of roster cuts, Dortch was a player I highlighted as someone the Bills should target. Not only did he make sense as a returner, but he's also flashed plenty of talent as a pass catcher during his career.

In his five seasons with the Cardinals, Dortch had 145 receptions for 1,310 yards and 10 touchdowns. This past season, he had 206 yards and three touchdowns on 29 receptions while playing for a struggling offense.

His speed and ability to make players miss in the open field translated on offense. Dortch averaged just 7.1 yards per catch in 2025, but according to PFF, nearly all of that was done after the catch as Dortch averaged 6.9 yards after the catch per reception. His quarterbacks also had a rating of 123 when throwing in his direction.

His ability to pick up yardage on short routes and on screens will help him fit into Joe Brady's offense, meaning he can be much more than a mere punt returner, although his talent in that regard was more than enough of a reason to bring him in.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

Add us as a preferred source on Google