The Buffalo Bills fell 38-0 to the Chicago Bears in their second preseason game on August 17. While the Bills rested quarterback Josh Allen and the bulk of their starters, it wasn’t a great look for the team’s depth.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was not pleased. “Certainly not up to our standards,” McDermott told reporters after the game. “Playing against their ones I expect, we expect to compete with them and that wasn’t the case early, and then our twos against their twos and threes, it didn’t get much better.
“We got to look at it and figure some things out, evaluate some of the guys, as well, and see where we stand there… I thought we had some momentum coming off that [joint] practice, which I thought was a good practice for us. Tonight, however, not even close.
“I was looking forward to seeing some guys with the opportunity tonight step up, and didn’t sense that as much as I’d hoped.”
After returning to Buffalo, McDermott pulled the trigger on several roster moves before their final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, August 23. They signed two new players, cut two players, and placed one on injured reserve.
Bills Released WR Kaden Prather, Signed WR Grant DuBose
GettyFormer Bills wide receiver Kaden Prather at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2025.
Headlining the flurry of moves on Tuesday, August 19, the Bills waived Kaden Prather, selected by Buffalo in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft. Prather, who spent two years at West Virginia before transferring to Maryland, recorded a total of 162 receptions for 1,966 yards and 12 touchdowns in his four-year collegiate career.
The 22-year-old signed a four-year, $4.3 million rookie contract, however, the 6-foot-3 receiver, dealt with a hamstring issue throughout the bulk of training camp. Prather participated in 10 offensive snaps against the Bears but missed his only target.
In a corresponding move, the Bill signed wide receiver Grant DuBose, a 2023 seventh-rounder who spent last season with the Bills’ AFC East rival, the Miami Dolphins. He appeared in three games, recording one pass for 13 yards before suffering a scary head injury in Week 15. He spent the rest of the season on injured reserve.
In other moves, the Bills placed running back Darrynton Evans on injured reserved and signed running back Javeon Howard, a 2024 undrafted free agent. Cornerback Te’Cory Couch was also waived/injured.
WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio noted, “For clarity on how it works: [Prather] (and CB Te’Cory Couch) can be claimed off waivers (with teams knowing he has an injury). If he clears, he reverts back Bills and can stay on IR all season or be released with an injury settlement.”
Sean McDermott Feels Confident In 3 Starting Wide Receivers Heading Into Their Final Preseason Game
During his press conference on Tuesday, McDermott shared a grim update on the status of their receivers’ room.
“We’ve got a pretty good feel for 1, 2, 3,” he said of the depth chart. “But who’s 4, 5, 6?… Once you get after that third person there, it’s trying to figure out who the rest of them are and who can help us on offense and special teams.”
The top three spots are likely reserved for Khalil Shakir, who’s dealing with an ankle injury, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer. While Curtis Samuel seemed to be a roster lock, he’s missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, while 2023 undrafted free agent Tyrell Shavers continues to impress.
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