The Buffalo Bills held their first training camp practice Wednesday morning at St. John Fisher University, and while most of the team was present and participating, there were a few players either working off to the side or absent altogether.
Wideout Jalen Virgil, who re-signed with the Bills this offseason after spending time with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025, was absent from the first training camp practice of 2026. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg reports that it was a failed physical that led to Virgil’s
absence.
Virgil, 28, played in seven games for the Bills during the 2024 season. He was known as an excellent blocker and a strong contributor on special teams, but he offered nothing in the way of pass-catching ability dring that season. That’s not an exaggeration—Virgil saw zero targets in the passing game across his seven games. To be fair, he played on just 37 offensive snaps that season, but he is clearly a better blocker than he is pass-catcher.
With Tyrell Shavers beginning camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered during Buffalo’s Wild Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in January, the Bills do have a spot open for a special teams-heavy wide receiver role. One practice won’t be the deciding factor, but Virgil is already on the roster bubble this season. Missing time won’t help his case for making the 53-man roster.
