Why the Buffalo Bills don't need to bring back WR Gabe Davis following his release from the Jacksonville Jaguars
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis is back on the free agent market. The Jacksonville Jaguars shockingly released him on Wednesday, despite just giving him a three-year, $39 million contract just one year ago. One of the first questions on everybody's mind is whether or not a reunion between Davis and the Bills is on […]
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis is back on the free agent market.
The Jacksonville Jaguars shockingly released him on Wednesday, despite just giving him a three-year, $39 million contract just one year ago.
One of the first questions on everybody's mind is whether or not a reunion between Davis and the Bills is on the table. Neither side has yet expressed any interest, but the familiarity the two have with each other is a factor to consider.
Buffalo selected Davis in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He averaged an impressive 17.1 yards per catch as a rookie, then had a career-year in 2022 with 48 receptions for 836 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 17.4 yards per catch.
Davis' most memorable performance came in the 2021 AFC divisional round playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, as he caught eight passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, Davis was a bit feast or famine. While he had several big games, he also was a non-factor more often than you would like in a No. 2 WR.
In 2024 with the Jaguars Davis posted just 20 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Then in Week 11, he tore his meniscus in his left knee and missed the remainder of the season. It is unknown if he'll be recovered in time to participate in training camp or even the start of the regular season.
Regardless, the Bills are better off letting Davis sign elsewhere and moving forward with the WR group that they have. They just gave Khalil Shakir a four-year, $60.2 million contract extension, and signed Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore during free agency.
Buffalo also spent a second-round draft pick on Keon Coleman in 2024, who could be poised to put it all together in 2025. When you factor in Curtis Samuel and Laviska Shenault on top of all that, it's hard to see where Davis would fit in. Given his current injury status and tendency to go long stretches without producing, working with Davis again seems like more trouble than it's worth.
