As a Buffalo Bills fan living in the Hudson Valley, there aren’t many connections to my “home” as it relates to the team I love. When I was a kid, I would often use my imported NCAA Football draft class rosters in my Madden franchises to create that connection, since I always took the Army Black Knights to prominence and I wanted to give my recruits a chance to continue their career in the NFL.
Well, I might not have ended up a Division I football coach, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t watch some
former Black Knights prosper in the NFL. And, making things better, there’s one who’s looking to catch on with my Bills. 16-year old me would be excited.
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss a Hard Knocks breakout star looking to make the team in 2026.
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Name: Jimmy Ciarlo
Number: 35
Position: ILB
Height/Weight: 6’2” 230 lbs.
Age: 25 (26 on 2/28/2027)
Experience/Draft: 2; signed as undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2024 following mandatory one-year commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces (served in the Infantry Branch of the U.S. Army following his 2023 graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point)
College: Army
Acquired: Signed reserve/futures contract on 1/19/2026
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Ciarlo signed a two-year deal worth $1,938,500 overall. For the 2026 NFL seaosn, he carries a cap hit of $886,750 if he makes the 53-man roster. Buffalo would carry a dead cap charge of $3,500 if he’s released, which is the equivalent of the signing bonus Ciarlo received.
2025 Recap: Ciarlo was without a team for the vast majority of the offseason, but he signed with Buffalo on August 6. He appeared in the team’s final two preseason games, logging four tackles in each contest. He was released as part of Buffalo’s final cuts, but he signed with the team’s practice squad. Buffalo signed Ciarlo to the active roster from the practice squad prior to their Week Five Sunday night loss to the New England Patriots. He played 13 snaps on special teams in that game but did not make a tackle. The Bills released Ciarlo on October 14 before re-signing him to the practice squad. Buffalo released him from the practice squad on November 4, and he signed to the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad on November 25. He did not appear in a game with the Dolphins and was not offered a reserve/futures contract at the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season. The Bills inked Ciarlo to a reserve/futures deal after their season ended with a 33-30 overtime defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos.
Positional outlook: Ciarlo is one of seven players listed at inside linebacker on the current roster. The others are Keonta Jenkins, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, Theron Gaines, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. An eighth player, Kaleb Elams-Orr, is listed at linebacker but expected to play ILB in Buffalo’s defense.
2026 Offseason: Ciarlo is healthy and he has participated in offseason work to date.
2026 Season outlook: Depending on how many linebackers the Bills keep, Ciarlo has a pretty solid shot at making the 53-man roster. As I’ve written before, the inside linebacker spot is the position I view as the weakest on the roster, and it’s also the one with the most question marks given that nearly everyone in the current positional grouping was selected to play in an entirely different defense. Ciarlo has the size, toughness, and versatility to fill various role, though, and he could slip on the roster as a special teams player and reserve if he has a strong summer.
While it wouldn’t surprise me if he made the roster, he should by no means be considered a lock for the 53. Williams, Bernard, Andreessen, and Elams-Orr are likely the top four linebackers. Will they keep more than four? I think the answer to that is yes, but we’re likely looking at five inside linebackers maximum making the roster. Is Ciarlo going to be ahead of a veteran like Flannigan-Fowles? Can he beat out the other UDFAs—2025 signing Jenkins or 2026 signing Gaines—for that hypothetical last spot? It’s possible, but it’s not a guarantee.
Ciarlo is going to have a good chance at making the final roster, but his best pathway to remaining with the Bills may be as a practice-squad player once again. Either way, he’s someone that I hope finds a way to stick with the club. He has the traits to help out this year and beyond.
