Buffalo Bills wide receiver Tyrell Shavers catches the ball over Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Bryce Hall for a touchdown. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills preseason hero makes it to initial 53-man roster

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 4:53 PM ET

The Buffalo Bills have their initial 53-man roster set for the 2025 season.

There weren’t too many surprise moves, although there were some disappointing players named among the team’s releases. One was K.J. Hamler, who became a star on ‘Hard Knocks’, but couldn’t crack the depth chart at wide receiver.

Another player who became a star this offseason, although not through the HBO series, was wide receiver Tyrell Shavers. He made one impressive catch after another during camp, and topped off the preseason.

Shavers had 123 yards on six catches and capped his preseason off with a beautiful one-handed touchdown catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite his performance, there were concerns he could be a victim of the numbers game, but that’s not the case. Shavers was announced as one of the 53 players to make the team’s initial roster.

Bills WR Tyrell Shavers has made the initial 53-man roster, according to a source. The 2023 undrafted free agent finally lands a spot on the main roster after two seasons on the Bills practice squad.
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) August 26, 2025

It’s been a long battle for Shavers, who began his collegiate career at Alabama in 2017. He transferred to Mississippi State in 2020 before going to San Diego State in 2021.

He was undrafted but signed with Buffalo in 2023 and nearly made the team last year. He was re-signed to the practice squad two years in a row and activated for three games in 2024. He made the most of his chance, catching one pass for a 69-yard touchdown.

Now, he gets a shot to add to his highlight-reel as a member of the active roster for the first time.