The Buffalo Bills would like to take their preseason debut against the Chicago Bears and flush it down the toilet. Despite No. 1 pick Caleb Williams only playing a handful of snaps, Chicago managed to put up 33 points while the Bills could manage just six in response.
The Bills seemed willing to use this game as a form of open tryouts for the wide receiver room and offensive line. With so many players struggling to cement themselves as no-doubt starters on those units, there's a chance that a strong preseason could force the Bills' hand.
While there were a handful of strong performances in the Bills' loss, including 2023 breakout stud Khalil Shakir, players like KJ Hamler were exceedingly tough to watch. For Hamler, he may have played so poorly that his chances of making the final roster have gone up in smoke.
Not only did Hamler muff a kickoff return that forced Buffalo to start at their own 17-yard line despite the new kickoff rules, but he dropped a pass. He ended the day with one nine-yard catch. With the margins for making this roster razor-thin, Hamler did not make a very good first impression.
KJ Hamler struggles in Buffalo Bills preseason opener
Hamler is on the comeback trail, as the former second-round pick never managed to truly take off after injuries in Denver. Injuries have limited Hamler to just 23 games over the last four years, catching just 42 passes in that time. With minimal wide receiver depth, Buffalo seems like a solid spot to resurrect his career.
Hamler's value as a receiver may not be the main reason the Bills signed him. If he is purely a returner, muffing a kickoff is certainly not going to win you any fans in the special teams room. His path to making the roster just got even more difficult.
Shakir, free agent signing Curtis Samuel, and rookie Keon Coleman are locks to make the roster. Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling seem to have an upper hand over the rest of the competitors right now, meaning Hamler may have to beat out one of either Chase Claypool, 2023 fifth-rounder Justin Shorter, practice squad holdover Tyrell Shavers.
Hamler could get all of this bad mojo out of here with one or two strong showings to end the preseason, but after laying an egg against Chicago, he faces an uphill climb to make the roster.