Bills Could Part Ways With $24 Million Wide Receiver Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel’s future with the Buffalo Bills may be in jeopardy.
The Bills let go of wideout Gabe Davis before the 2024 season, and the move appeared justified. Davis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, only to post career-low numbers across multiple receiving metrics before suffering a season-ending meniscus tear on November 17 in a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. Jacksonville released him on May 8 after he failed a physical.
Buffalo had signed Curtis Samuel with the intention of upgrading their receiving corps, giving the former Ohio State star a three-year, $24 million deal. However, his first season in Buffalo underwhelmed—Samuel logged just 253 yards on 46 targets and scored only once.
Elijah Moore Signing Raises Doubts About Samuel’s Role
The Bills added more depth after the 2025 draft by signing free agent Elijah Moore to a one-year, $5 million contract. Moore, who had 538 receiving yards on 102 targets for the Browns in 2024, joins a crowded receiver room. Buffalo also brought in Joshua Palmer and Laviska Shenault and drafted Kaden Prather in the seventh round. Those players will now compete for spots alongside returning receivers Khalil Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman, and Samuel.
According to Fansided’s Brandon Ray, the additions could push Samuel out.
“Palmer got a three-year contract, and Moore brings more explosiveness than Samuel,” Ray wrote. “If Samuel doesn’t stand out in training camp, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Bills move on.”
Though Samuel already knows Buffalo’s offensive system, Ray pointed out that performance is what ultimately matters—and so far, Samuel hasn’t delivered.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox also predicted that Samuel may not last the summer in Buffalo, despite the minimal cap savings the team would get from releasing him—just $430,000.
Financial Risk Still Looms
One major obstacle in cutting Samuel is the financial hit. Letting him go would leave the Bills with $12 million in dead cap money, which could make the team hesitate.
Still, as Ray previously mentioned, Bills GM Brandon Beane has accepted big cap penalties before, most notably when he dealt Stefon Diggs to the Texans and absorbed a $31 million dead cap hit in the process.
Given the new additions and competition at wide receiver, Samuel’s spot on the roster is anything but guaranteed heading into training camp.
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