The Buffalo Bills have four running backs on the current roster who have been with the team for two whole seasons. The top four players on the running back depth chart have not changed since the 2023 season, when Latavius Murray was on the squad along with Leonard Fournette. Neither man has played in an NFL game since that 2023 season, but Fournette has joked about playing in his first World Cup this summer thanks to his resemblance to Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.
Speaking of players who played
in leagues other than the NFL, today’s installment of “91 players in 91 days” discusses a player who made a name for himself in the UFL this winter. Can this speedy running back break through and change up the Bills’ running back room heading into the 2026 NFL season? _____________________________________________________________________________
Name: Ian Wheeler
Number: 27
Position: RB
Height/Weight: 5’11”, 205 pounds
Age: 24 (25 on 9/15/2026)
Experience/Draft: 2; signed with the Chicago Bears following the 2024 NFL Draft
College: Howard
Acquired: Signed with Bills on 6/18/2026
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Wheeler signed a one-year contract worth $885,000 in total. There are no guarantees on the deal, so Buffalo can release him without a dead cap charge at any time. His cap hit is the value of the contract if he makes the 53-man roster.
2025 Recap: Wheeler had a fairly uneventful 2025, as he spent training camp and the preseason with the Bears after recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in August of 2024. He rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, playing in two preseason games. He also caught a pass for 14 yards on three targets during the exhibition slate.
The Bears released Wheeler as part of final roster cuts at the end of August, and he was without a team until November, when the New Orleans Saints signed him to the practice squad. He was released a week later on December 2 and did not sign with another NFL team during the season.
Positional outlook: Wheeler is one of five running backs on the roster. James Cook III, Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, and Frank Gore Jr. are the others. Buffalo has two fullbacks—Jackson Acker and Ben VanSumeran—on the roster as well.
2026 Offseason: While the NFL was in its offseaosn period, Wheeler was busy playing with the UFL’s Louisville Kings. Wheeler began the UFL slate as a backup to Benny Snell, but after Snell was released, Wheeler caught fire. He carried 68 times for 370 yards and six touchdowns, adding six receptions for 36 yards, in nine regular-season games. He also averaged 28.5 yards per kickoff return on 13 tries.
During the postseason, he continued his strong play, rushing 17 times for 170 yards and two scores, adding one three-yard reception in two playoff games. In the UFL Championship Game, the United Bowl, Wheeler rushed for 81 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in a 27-20 Louisville victory. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
2026 Season outlook: Wheeler is a fascinating prospect for Buffalo. The team appears to have a fairly well-established pecking order at the running back position, with Cook the clear top dog, and Davis and Johnson settled in at their respective spots. However, Davis saw more time returning kicks than he did as a running back last season, and Johnson is about to turn 29 years old with a cap hit north of $3 million. Could the Bills swap out an older, more expensive backup for someone younger and faster in Wheeler?
Even with the tight finances Buffalo faces, I think Johnson’s role is going to be hard to replicate with the players currently on the roster. He can return kicks when needed, he is arguably the best receiver Buffalo has out of the backfield, he’s still plenty explosive on the ground, and he is a solid pass protector. Wheeler might have the explosive 4.4 speed, but he hasn’t shown the receiving ability at any level.
Wheeler could have a big enough preseason where he needs to make the roster, and there could also be injuries ahead of him that cause the Bills to keep him on the 53. However, I think it’s more likely that he’s battling Frank Gore Jr. for a spot on the practice squad, and based solely on athletic traits, I think that’s a battle Wheeler will win. He gives the Bills a dynamic speed element that Gore Jr. just doesn’t have, which would outweigh the experience in the system Gore Jr. has if I were making the roster.
I expect Wheeler to be a guy we hear about often during the preseason before he ultimately settles in on the practice squad or with another club.
