Buffalo Bills veteran gets hit with a big reality check just days before first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers
A key Buffalo Bills veteran got quite the reality check as the team prepares for its first preseason game game the year, against the Carolina Panthers on August 15.
A Buffalo Bills veteran who is receiving a decent amount of hype in training camp got hit with a big reality check this week.
There’s been a lot of positive buzz about wide receiver Josh Palmer in recent weeks.
Palmer, who started his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, had a trying first season in Buffalo in 2025, catching just 22 passes for 303 yards while battling injuries.
The former Tennessee Volunteers standout, however, is currently healthy and he’s been having a good camp.
“He’s probably one of, if not the hardest workers I know,” said Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir recently when asked about Palmer. “I mean, the dude is up before all of us. He’s working in the training room and weight room longer than us. He’s in there before us. He’s really honed in on getting himself better every single day in all aspects of football.”
Josh Palmer gets hit with preseason reality check by the Bills
The feeling has been that Palmer is currently the No. 3 wide receiver in Buffalo due to his solid training camp.
But that’s apparently not the case.
Keon Coleman, who is very much in a prove-it year, was listed on the Bills’ unofficial depth chart this week as Buffalo’s No. 3 wide receiver while Palmer is listed with the second team.
It’s an early depth chart and a lot can change between now and the start of the season, but it’s still surprising to see Palmer with the second team. Even though he’s coming off a tough season, he’s a prototypical No. 3 wide receiver — hard worker, team guy, and embraces the role of being a complementary player.
Coleman, meanwhile, has been frustratingly inconsistent and has yet to live up to the hype that he entered the league with.
It’s worth noting, though, that ESPN recently reported that there’s still “internal belief” in Coleman in the Bills organization.
“There’s still internal belief in wideout Keon Coleman, who is coming into this season with much lower expectations than he did last year,” noted ESPN’s Ben Solak this week. “He’s in a battle with Joshua Palmer for the WR3 snaps behind Moore and Khalil Shakir, but he won’t fade out of the rotation entirely even if Palmer is the “starter” in three-receiver sets. To Coleman’s benefit, nobody on the bottom of the receiver depth chart is pushing for snaps ahead of him.”
It sounds like Coleman is getting the benefit of the doubt to start preseason action, but Palmer is right on his heels.
