The Buffalo Bills are shaking up their wide receiver room once again as they gear up for a crucial stretch run in the 2025 NFL season. On Friday, November 28, 2025, the team officially signed veteran wide receiver Gabe Davis from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster while placing Curtis Samuel on Injured Reserve (IR) due to elbow and knee issues. This move comes just in time for Buffalo’s Week 13 road clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, November 30, at 4:25 PM ET on CBS.
Davis, affectionately known as “Big Game Gabe” for his clutch performances in high-stakes matchups, has been elevated from the practice squad for the Bills’ last two games. In those appearances, the 26-year-old tallied four receptions for 62 yards on six targets, logging 59 offensive snaps and showing strong chemistry with quarterback Josh Allen. His return to the active roster fills a void left by Samuel’s absence and bolsters a receiving corps that’s been in flux.
Davis originally spent his first four seasons with the Bills after being drafted in the fourth round in 2020, where he built a reputation for explosive plays and postseason heroics. Highlights include two toe-drag catches in the 2020 Wild Card win over the Indianapolis Colts, a four-touchdown masterpiece in the 2021 Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs, and a 171-yard outburst in a 2022 rout of the Steelers. Over those four years in Buffalo, Davis averaged 6.7 touchdowns per regular season and 16.7 yards per catch across 64 games (47 starts). His career stats to date reflect his big-play ability: 187 receptions for 3,031 yards and 29 touchdowns over six seasons split between the Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.
After signing with the Jaguars in 2024, Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury in November of that year, requiring reconstructive surgery. He missed training camp this summer but rejoined the Bills on the practice squad ahead of the regular season, starting on IR before working his way back. This activation marks a full-circle moment for the 6-foot-2 target, who could see an expanded role in a passing attack that’s helped propel the Bills to a 7-4 record through 11 games.
On the flip side, Samuel’s placement on IR continues a frustrating trend of injury woes since signing a three-year, $24 million deal with Buffalo in 2024. The speedy veteran has missed five games this season due to various ailments and has been a frequent presence on the injury report. In 2025, Samuel appeared in just six games, recording seven catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.
His last action came in Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 16, where he played 28 snaps, hauled in two receptions for 19 yards, and returned a kickoff for 15 yards. Samuel has now sat out the last two weeks of practice, leading to this IR designation, which will sideline him for at least four games.
This isn’t the only recent change in the Bills’ receiver group. Earlier this month, the team released Elijah Moore amid reports of his dissatisfaction with his role in the offense. With one roster spot still open, Buffalo is expected to activate offensive tackle Tylan Grable ahead of Sunday’s kickoff to address ongoing line injuries, including left tackle Dion Dawkins and right tackle Spencer Brown being ruled out against Pittsburgh.
The Bills’ updated active wide receiver corps now includes:
- Khalil Shakir
- Joshua Palmer
- Gabe Davis
- Keon Coleman
- Tyrell Shavers
- Brandin Cooks
As the Bills (7-4) prepare to face the Steelers in a pivotal AFC matchup, reintegrating Davis could provide a spark for an offense that’s averaged 28.9 points per game this season. With multiple big games looming—including home tilts against the Bengals and Eagles, plus road trips to the Patriots and Browns—Buffalo hopes “Big Game Gabe” lives up to his moniker once more.