The Buffalo Bills made significant changes to their wide receiving corps in the offseason, parting ways with top receiver Stefon Diggs and allowing No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis to leave via free agency. There had been speculation about how both players would perform without quarterback Josh Allen, but that question may now go unanswered.
Just weeks after the Houston Texans placed Diggs on injured reserve with a season-ending torn ACL, Davis has also been sidelined. On November 19, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars placed Davis on season-ending injured reserve after he suffered a knee injury.
Davis, who struggled with consistency in Jacksonville, recorded 20 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns this season. In his four years with Buffalo, he had 163 receptions for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns. The Bills chose not to re-sign Davis in free agency, opting instead to cut costs and make several moves to free up cap space. In March, Davis signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Jaguars.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed Davis’s injury on November 19, noting that the wide receiver had been dealing with other injuries this season. “He’s going to miss the rest of the season,” Pederson said, via USA Today’s Jags Wire. “I hate it for him. He’s battled through some injuries this season, but he was in good spirits when I saw him today.”
Davis’s former teammate, Diggs, also suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a win over the Indianapolis Colts. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud expressed his sympathy for Diggs, saying, “It’s not easy, and I just feel bad for him. He’s worked extremely hard, and I think he was having one of the best times he’s ever had on a team. I just feel for him and am praying for him.”
Other former Bills players have also faced challenges with their new teams, including cornerback Tre’Davious White, who moved from the Bills to the Los Angeles Rams last offseason and was later traded to the Baltimore Ravens at the deadline.
Meanwhile, the Bills have thrived with a revamped wide receiver group, which has helped Josh Allen distribute the ball more evenly. The team used its top draft pick to select rookie Keon Coleman, signed veteran Curtis Samuel, and traded for Pro Bowler Amari Cooper at the deadline. These moves have given the Bills a more balanced offensive attack, with five players having at least 20 receptions and 11 different players recording at least one touchdown reception.
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