Buffalo Bills release fan-favorite and ‘Hard Knocks’ standout ahead of roster cutdown deadline
Goodbye, sweet prince.
The Buffalo Bills are working diligently to cut their roster from 90 to 53 ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Aug. 26. If you want to stay up to date on all the moves, bookmark our tracker for easy reference. With cuts comes the inevitability that some fan-favorites will be moving on. The Buffalo Bills released wide receiver K.J. Hamler, a standout on HBO’s “Hard Knocks”. His scooter shenanigans will live on in the hearts of Bills Mafia for years to come, or just me, which is totally fine. The speedy receiver could be added to the team’s practice squad, or sign elsewhere being as though he’s a vested veteran and doesn’t need to clear waivers.
If you thought “scooter shenanigans,” what is this dude talking about? Hamler was featured on the hit docuseries and, in the opening episode, was seen riding a kids’ scooter after making a hilarious mistake when purchasing it. When asked about it after the episode aired, Hamler was more than a little honest.
“I ain’t going to lie. So behind the scooter, I went to Target and saw $100 and electric and got the jawn. I thought that thing could fold open, and I thought it was going to be a great little scooter.”
Hamler joined the Bills on a one-year reserve/future contract in January of 2025. His deal was worth a little over $1 million, which was his cap hit if he had made the 53-man roster. Since released, it only carried a dead-cap charge of $8,000, which was the total guaranteed money on the deal. It was going to be difficult for him to crack the roster, but he had a solid preseason and could find a home across the league. Buffalo could also bring him back on the team’s practice squad as long as they have no more than six vested veterans. Much like the Dane Jackson release, Buffalo could have worked with Hamler on a deal and just asked him to stay in the parking lot and wait for the official deadline to pass.
Hamler’s 2025 preseason stats with the Bills
Through three games, he managed to haul in five catches on six targets for 79 yards and a touchdown. Despite his limited performance, he flashed, and his speed was on full display. As for his snap counts, he was on the field for 89 plays. On offense, two inline, 42 in at the slot, and 32 were wide. On special teams, one in kick coverage, 10 in kick return, and two in punt return. Adding even more dimension to his game and possible suitors, he was able to show up as a returner as well. He had three kickoff returns for 76 yards for an average of 25.3 per return.
Nevertheless, he’s currently no longer a member of the Buffalo Bills. Despite his limited time with the team, he made a profound impact. Selfishly, I hope he winds up back on the team. We could use more scooter moments.
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