Bills’ Stephen Gosnell gets a shot to earn a 53-man role after a contract path from reserve/future deal

The Buffalo Bills are heading into the 2026 offseason with more questions than certainties at wide receiver, according to a 2026 scouting look at second-year WR Stephen Gosnell. The basic storyline is familiar for teams that need depth to stabilize an offense: who can actually separate and contribute on Sundays, and can a player with minimal prior production do enough in camp to avoid ending up on the practice-squad tier again.

The Bills’ receiver group struggled to generate separation and reliable output in 2025, and the receiving corps profile has carried into the summer conversation. In that context, Gosnell’s path is not about becoming the headline target. It is about proving he can be one of the contributors Buffalo can trust when the roster is finally trimmed to 53.

Gosnell’s roster status going into this roster-battle moment traces back to how Buffalo retained him after 2025. Buffalo Rumblings reported that Gosnell signed a reserve/future contract at the conclusion of the 2025 season, a two-year deal reportedly worth $1,943,500 total. The same reporting breaks down the cap consequences if he makes the roster, projecting a $889,250 cap number for a 53-man spot, and notes a $8,500 dead-cap hit if he is released.

On the field, the track record Gosnell brings is concentrated in offseason and preseason work. Buffalo Rumblings reported that in 2025 he played in two preseason games and caught all five of his targets for 41 yards, without returning kicks or punts and without recording a tackle on special teams. After roster decisions, he was waived on August 26 and then signed to Buffalo’s practice squad following waivers, but was not elevated to the 53-man roster for any games.

The roster reality also matters for how his opportunity is likely to be evaluated. Buffalo Rumblings described Gosnell as one of a set of wide receivers on the current roster, alongside players such as Khalil Shakir, DJ Moore, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Mecole Hardman Jr., Trent Sherfield Sr., Jalen Virgil, Ja’Mori Maclin, Max Tomczak, Deven Thompkins, Tyrell Shavers, Skyler Bell, and Mac Dalena. With that many bodies competing, the coaching staff’s question becomes less “is he talented?” and more “can he do enough consistently, and in the right packages, to be worth a roster spot over other options.”

So what should you watch next? First, whether Gosnell’s camp work translates into routes that quarterbacks can rely on, especially against man coverage and in timing windows. Second, whether Buffalo uses him as a depth option in the slot or in specific formation packages, a choice that often determines whether a fringe wide receiver can stand out without needing primary-target volume. And third, how the staff balances the group’s overall separation and route-running needs, since one player rarely fixes an organizational problem. If Gosnell is going to “break camp” with the 53-man roster, it likely has to happen through dependable execution rather than one breakout moment.