The Buffalo Bills have a lot of wide recievers on their 2026 roster. Of the 91 players in camp, 14 of them play wide receiver. Obviously, the Bills will cut many of those players, and likely more than half of them, before the season begins. After a 2025 season where the receiver room was a much-discussed problem, the team is definitely searching for a new direction at that position this year.
Will that search lead to some surprise names making the team? In today’s installment of our “91 players in 91 days”
series, we discuss a rookie wideout who has already been released and re-signed once by the Bills this spring. _____________________________________________________________________________
Name: Max Tomczak
Number: 82
Position: WR
Height/Weight: 6′ 195 lbs.
Age: Unknown; likely 23 years old given that his first year of college was 2021
Experience/Draft: R; signed with Buffalo following the 2026 NFL Draft
College: Youngstown State
Acquired: Re-signed with the Bills on 6/11/2026
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Tomczak signed a one-year deal with the Bills worth $885,000 in total. There are no guarantees on the contract, so Buffalo can release him without a cap penalty at any time. Buffalo alreayd has released Tomczak once before, so they’re carrying a $45,000 dead cap charge for releasing him from that first UDFA contract he signed with the club after the draft. If Tomczak makes the 53-man roster, his cap hit is $885,000.
2025 Recap: Tomczak finished his decorated career with a fantastic senior season. He caught 70 passes for 1,021 yards and 8 touchdowns, including a three-touchdown game in the playoffs against Yale. Those totals ensured that Tomczak would be included in the school record books, as well, as he finished his career as the all-time leader in receptions at Youngstown State with 225. He finished second in receiving yards with 3,024, and he also holds the school record for consecutive games with a reception (46). He was a Second-Team All-America choice by Phil Steele, Third-Team All-America choice by Stats Perform and FCS Central SI.com, and Honorable Mention All-America choice by The Associated Press. He also was named First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference for the second straight season. He did not secure an invite to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, but he showed off elite speed and agility at Youngstown State’s Pro Day. He ran the forty-yard dash in 4.54 seconds, did the three-cone drill in 6.68 seconds, and ran the twenty-yard shuttle in 4.01 seconds. He leapt 34.5″ in the vertical jump and 9’5″ in the broad jump, and he benched 225-lbs. a total of 12 times.
Positional outlook: Tomczak is one of 14 receivers on the current roster. Skyler Bell, Mac Dalena, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, DJ Moore, Trent Sherfield Sr., Jalen Virgil, Stephen Gosnell, Deven Thompkins, Tyrell Shavers, Mecole Hardman Jr., and Ja’Mori Maclin are the others.
2026 Offseason: Tomczak originally signed with Buffalo as a UDFA, but he was released on May 27 before re-signing in June.
2026 Season outlook: If you recognize Tomczak’s name, it’s likely that you’re either a rabid NCAA football fan or you’re familiar with his uncle, Mike Tomczak, who played quarterback in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Baty Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions. If you remember Mike Tomczak’s playing career, you also might need to schedule a colonoscopy.
As for Max, he’s definitely an intriguing prospect given Buffalo’s need for quick, agile players who can separate from man coverage quickly. Tomczak’s quickness is obvious, but his lack of size could be a hindrance, especially with the Bills set to give KHalil Shakir the lion’s share of the slot snaps. Quarterback Josh Allen has always done better with twitchy, quick-separation types rather than big-bodied, go-up-and-catch-it guys, so someone like Tomczak could be a sneaky camp darling this summer. Am I suggesting that he’ll make the roster? No, I’m not. But, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s someone who makes big plays during training camp and draws the attention of beat reporters and fans alike during practice and preseason games.
If Tomczak can make plays on special teams, he’ll have a good chance of at least making the practice squad. He returned 22 punts in college, averaging six yards per return. However, it will take a few “wow” plays in addition to consistently strong showings for him to stick around this year.
