Former Tennessee football wide receiver Joshua Palmer made the game-winning play for the Buffalo Bills in their season opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 13.
Palmer was targeted only twice, but his last target from quarterback Josh Allen resulted in a 34-yard touchdown reception with 1:34 remaining in the fourth quarter that lifted the Bills to a 36-31 win at NRG Stadium in Houston.
WHAT A THROW. WHAT A CATCH.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 13, 2026
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/8tOhQ17O3h
It had been 680 days since Palmer last scored an a touchdown in an NFL game.
Palmer played four seasons at UT between 2017-20 and caught 99 passes for 1,514 yards and seven touchdowns. The Los Angles Chargers picked Palmer with the 77th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
One game
into his sixth season in the NFL, Palmer has now caught 205 passes for 2,624 yards and 11 touchdowns. He enjoyed three productive seasons with the Chargers, but has seen his playing time decrease ever since. In 2025, his first year with the Bills, Palmer played the fewest offensive snaps of his career.
But Palmer was a critical part of Buffalo's first win in 2026 and his decisive score could be a spark a bounce-back year playing in what's expected to be one of the best offenses in the NFL this season.
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee football receiver Josh Palmer's game-winning touchdown for Bills
