Another ‘Hard Knocks' star will receive the axe in 2025. For the second consecutive offseason, the Buffalo Bills are releasing receiver KJ Hamler during their final roster cuts.
The Bills cut Hamler on Tuesday morning, just hours before the 4 p.m. ET roster deadline, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. The move marked the second consecutive year they released Hamler as part of their final roster cuts, following a similar move in 2024.
Hamler, 26, has not played a game since the 2022 season. The Denver Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, hoping to add a dynamic weapon to their offense, but his career hardly even got off the ground. Hamler has just 620 total receiving yards and three touchdowns through three years in the league.
When Buffalo released Hamler in 2024, it subsequently signed him to the team's practice squad. Should he clear waivers, he could end up making the same move in 2025.
With the Bills being featured in the 2025 offseason edition of HBO's ‘Hard Knocks,' fans became familiar with Hamler and his rocky career. Although it was a long shot, some were hoping that he would find his way onto Buffalo's roster, but it was not in the cards.
Bills continue making roster cuts with KJ Hamler release
Unfortunately for Hamler, the 2024 season was his chance to make Buffalo's roster. The Bills were in desperate need of receivers after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, but he still could not make the cut. He re-entered the 2025 offseason with much stiffer competition, joining a receiving corps that added Elijah Moore and Joshua Palmer to the mix.
The Bills have been slowly making cuts throughout the offseason, but began their initial purge on Tuesday morning. Buffalo has since cut ties with receiver Grant DuBose, tight end Matt Sokol, cornerback Zy Alexander and running back Elijah Young, among others. Like Hamler, a few were featured on ‘Hard Knocks.'
The Bills will likely make at least a few more notable releases before the 4 p.m. ET deadline. Notable undrafted free agents Frank Gore Jr., Paris Shand, Tyrell Shavers and Jimmy Ciarlo are still gunning for a roster spot. Late-round selections Dorian Strong, Marcus Harris and Chase Lundt are also potentially on the bubble and anxiously await the final horn.
