The Buffalo Bills will have to make roster cutdown decisions after their third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers inside the new Highmark Stadium on Thursday night.
Fortunately for the Bills, they’ll technically have plenty of time to mull over those decisions, as this year’s roster cutdown deadline isn’t until Sunday, August 30 at 6:00pm EST.
Before the Bills final preseason game of 2026 takes place, let’s attempt to project the club’s practice squad for this season. Practice squads have
been low-key important elements to a team’s roster throughout every season. I’ll update my projection — if applicable — after the exhibition outing against the Steelers.
But first, some practice squad rules:
After COVID, NFL practice squads were cemented at 16 players.
Up to six veterans are allowed. They can have an unlimited number of accrued seasons in the NFL. The remaining 10 spots must be reserved for players with two or fewer accrued professional seasons. One extra spot is available — to make a club’s practice squad 17 players — for the International Pathway Program.
*A player needs to be on the 53-man roster for a total of six or more regular season games to earn an accrued season.
For reference, at the outset of the 2025 regular season, this is what the Bills practice squad looked like:
WR: Kristian Wilkerson, Stephen Gosnell
OT: Travis Clayton (IPP)
OG: Kendrick Green
OC: Dan Feeney
TE: Keleki Latu
QB: Shane Buechele
RB: Frank Gore Jr.
EDGE: Andre Jones Jr.
DL: Jordan Phillips, Zion Logue
LB: Keonta Jenkins, Jimmy Ciarlo
CB: Dane Jackson, Jalen Kimber
S: Jordan Poyer, Sam Franklin
Now onto 2026 — who currently on Bills roster would qualify for the 10-spot young-player stipulation in the NFL’s practice squad rules, you ask? They’re listed below:
(I’ve purposely left off those youngsters who aren’t in real jeopardy of being cut and subject to practice-squad consideration)
WR: Ja’Mori Maclin, Max Tomczak, Mac Dalena, Stephen Gosnell, Quentin Skinner
OL: Chase Lundt, Da’Metrius Weatherspoon, Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Bruno Fina
TE: Keleki Latu
RB: Ian Wheeler, Frank Gore Jr.
QB: Shane Buechele
OLB: Cade Denhoff, Andre Jones Jr.
DL: Zion Logue, Zane Durant
LB: Keonta Jenkins, Theron Gaines, Jimmy Ciarlo
CB: Kani Walker, Toriano Pride Jr., Jordan Dunbar
S: Te’Cory Couch, Wande Owens
And now here’s my practice squad projection ahead of Buffalo’s final 2026 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have bolded names of the veteran members.
My Buffalo Bills 2026 practice squad projection
WR: Ja’Mori Maclin, Stephen Gosnell
OL: Chase Lundt, Ar’maj Reed-Adams
TE: Keleki Latu, Shane Zylstra
RB: Frank Gore Jr.
QB: Shane Buechele
DL: Zion Logue, Zane Durant
LB: Joe Andreessen, Jimmy Ciarlo
CB: Toriano Pride Jr., Jordan Dunbar
S: Te’Cory Couch, Wande Owens
IPP: DT Travis Clayton
Only going with three veterans gives the Bills plenty of space to add veterans later if need be.
At receiver, Maclin’s spot on the practice squad feels distinctly secure right now, and I think the Bills like the developmental upside of Gosnell, who has three catches for 44 yards in two preseason games.
Latu and Zylstra probably have the best chances to see the field during the regular season. In short, if the numbers game wasn’t a thing, I believe they’d both be on Buffalo’s roster. Gore Jr. and Ian Wheeler, the latter of whom I have on Buffalo’s 53-man roster in my latest projection, are interchangeable. I could see the Bills opting with either of them to start the regular season on the regular roster.
Lundt is the long-term developmental offensive tackle. Reed-Adams is that player on the inside, and I like his potential more. Logue is a classic 4i/5tech project, and Durant is the long-term option to play 0T, 1T or even some 3T in time.
Andreessen and Ciarlo have shown well enough this summer — particularly in the preseason — to be valuable practice squad members.
The defensive backs — Pride Jr., Dunbar, Owens, and Couch — are kept on versatility alone. They can align anywhere due to their suddenness and experience wearing many hats.
What do you think? Would you make any chances to this practice squad ahead of Buffalo’s last preseason game of the summer?
