The Buffalo Bills savvily signed a former second-round draft pick to a futures contract in January, adding a low-risk, high-reward talent to their receiving corps.
Receiver KJ Hamler, who went to the Denver Broncos as the No. 46 overall selection in 2020, brings top-level speed to a unit that may lose deep threat Gabe Davis to free agency.
After three injury-plagued seasons as a Bronco, the team released Hamler with a non-football illness designation during training camp last summer. Diagnosed with pericarditis, the Penn State product embarked a short sabbatical before returning to football. He officially joined the Indianapolis Colts' Practice Squad on September 30, spending the remainder of the 2023 regular season there.
Hamler has not played in a regular season game since October 30, 2022 when he made two catches for 52 yards in the Broncos' 21-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. A nagging hamstring injury limited the young receiver to only seven appearances that year. Hamler played only three games in 2021 prior to tearing an ACL.
Flashing his game-breaking speed as a rookie, Hamler accounted for a couple of notable moments in 2020. His first career touchdown reception powered Denver to a 31-30 win over the Chargers on the game's final play from scrimmage. Later that year, his two second-half field-stretching TD catches (37, 49) helped the Broncos to a 32-27 road win over Carolina.
Over 23 career NFL games, Hamler, who was once clocked reaching 21.76 mph during game action by Penn State's sports-science staff, has totaled 620 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 42 grabs.
Hamler is one of four receivers Buffalo signed to futures contracts, joining Andy Isabella, Tyrell Shavers and Bryan Thompson. Isabella, a former second-round selection by the Arizona Cardinals, is the lone member of the quartet to see game action in 2023.
The Bills own the No. 28 overall selection at the NFL Draft and a number of analysts have mocked a receiver to Buffalo in that spot.
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