Bills' Receiver Signing Named 'Uninspiring Choice' By Analyst

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 11:59 AM ET

The NFL offseason can be a strange place, and for the Buffalo Bills, the franchise was urged to sign a new weapon for Josh Allen, and they did, Los Angeles Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer.

But that wasn't good enough for some, with the need not satisfied and others wanting a genuine No. 1 weapon despite the obvious salary cap limitations.

Palmer has posted at least 500+ receiving yards in his last three seasons in L.A., so he isn't exactly a mug, but for ESPN's Seth Walder, the signing of Palmer wasn't good.

"Palmer is an uninspiring choice given his 1.6 yards per route run last season (and failure to ever reach 1.9 yards per route run in a season) despite playing with Justin Herbert in Los Angeles," Walder writes . "When the Bills didn't draft a wide receiver until the seventh round, GM Brandon Beane took issue with the criticism."

Perhaps the best thing about Palmer coming to Buffalo is that he won't need to be the No. 1 guy, with Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, along with tight end Dalton Kincaid, all part of an arsenal of weapons that helped the Bills reach the AFC Championship game last year.

Instead, Palmer will be asked to be part of the machine, not the driving force. Yes, his numbers might not be greater than they were in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean he won't be a valued part of Joe Brady's offense.

Some are writing off the signing of Palmer before he's played a snap with the defending MVP, so we'll let the cake bake on any narrative around Joshua right now.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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