Josh Palmer Says He’s Healthy, But Bills Depth Chart Says the Job Isn’t His Yet

Josh Palmer says his body finally feels right again. Whether that’s enough to earn him a real role in Buffalo’s crowded receiver room is still an open question.

The Bills wide receiver has spent training camp trying to put a lost 2025 season behind him, and by his own account, the rebuild is working. WKBW reported Palmer is off to a strong start at St. John Fisher University, a sharp contrast from a season he called, in his own words, a “hard reset.” Head coach Joe Brady, who called plays for Palmer as offensive coordinator before his promotion, has also praised the receiver’s approach and work ethic throughout camp.

A Wasted Season, By the Numbers

Palmer’s first year in Buffalo was rough. He signed as the Bills’ top free-agent addition last offseason, then watched the year fall apart around ankle and knee injuries that limited him to 12 games. He finished with 22 catches on 37 targets for 303 yards. Zero touchdowns. It was the worst statistical season of his career, and he missed both of Buffalo’s playoff games entirely.

He’s been open about how that felt. Speaking with Trainwreck Sports at a Bills Mafia fan event in July, Palmer described the offseason as a turning point: “The body is getting way, way, way better. I’m in a much better place,” he said, adding that he’s looking forward to “having a healthy season.”

The numbers back up the recovery talk so far. At camp, Palmer has flashed the deep-ball ability that made him a name in four years with the Chargers — including a contested catch over cornerback Dee Alford down the seam that Bills beat reporter Jonathan Acosta flagged as one of his best plays of camp.

A Crowded Room Just Got More Crowded

Palmer isn’t walking into an empty depth chart. Buffalo made DJ Moore its clear No. 1 receiver after trading for him this offseason, and Khalil Shakir remains locked into a starting role after his 2025 breakout. Add tight end Dalton Kincaid and running back James Cook — both established targets for Josh Allen — and the competition for remaining snaps is steep.

That’s where the story gets complicated. Despite the strong camp reviews, Buffalo’s unofficial depth chart released this week ahead of the preseason opener against Carolina has Palmer running with the second team, not the first. Keon Coleman — heading into a make-or-break third season — was listed as the starting No. 3 receiver instead.

It’s worth being careful here — an unofficial camp depth chart is not a roster decision, and Bills reporters covering it in real time have cautioned against reading too much into it this early. Coaches shuffle groupings constantly through August. But it does undercut any suggestion that Palmer’s spot is settled just because he’s healthy again.

What It Means Going Forward

Buffalo doesn’t need Palmer to be its top target. It needs him to be the reliable complementary piece the front office envisioned when it signed him to a three-year, $29 million contract last offseason — a deal that includes $15 million fully guaranteed at signing, according to a breakdown from Buffalo Rumblings. If he can stay on the field and give Allen a legitimate vertical option, Buffalo’s passing attack gets a lot harder to defend. If he can’t, the “everybody eats” offense will keep eating without him.

Palmer’s own teammates have pushed back on the idea that last season was a fair measure of who he is. Shakir, speaking on the Centered on Buffalo podcast, called Palmer one of the hardest workers on the team, someone who’s “up before all of us” putting in extra time in the training and weight rooms.

Buffalo opens its preseason slate against Carolina on Saturday. It won’t settle anything by itself, but it’s the first real look at whether a healthy Palmer can turn training-camp buzz into game reps that matter.