The Bills are on the board with their first free-agent agreement on Monday afternoon. According to multiple reports, the Bills agreed to terms with wide receiver Joshua Palmer on a three-year deal worth $36 million, $18 million of which is reportedly guaranteed. Palmer ranked No. 104 on The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents heading into the start of the new league year.

How he fits

Palmer joins the Bills after spending his entire rookie contract with the Chargers. He was consistently one of the Chargers’ top four options as early as his rookie season and saw his play time rise significantly in his first three years when the Chargers dealt with injuries to the receiver position. Under a new regime in 2024, Palmer remained a trusted piece of their receiver room, playing in over 50 percent of the team’s snaps in almost every game. He’ll instantly step into a top-four role within the Bills receiver room as one of their best boundary receivers and may very well be one of their starting three, along with X-receiver Keon Coleman and slot receiver Khalil Shakir.

2025 impact

After most of the boundary receivers struggled down the stretch of the season, the Bills had a significant need for a player at that position who could separate well enough in the intermediate to deep areas of the field, and that’s where Palmer’s skill set can help them the most. His mark of 15.26 air yards per target, along with his separation metrics, give the Bills something they did not have in 2024. That lack of separation skills was especially evident in the AFC Championship Game, as the Bills had to routinely settle for shorter targets, limiting their offense’s overall scope. Even though Palmer has modest statistics year over year throughout his career, and an average of 45.5 receptions for 571.8 yards per season, the Bills are investing in a 25-year-old player who they likely believe has his best years ahead of him. Due to roster turnover, with both Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins becoming unrestricted free agents, Palmer won’t push anyone out of the starting lineup as it stands today.

Cap update

Palmer’s reported $12 million average per year ranks second in the wide receiver room behind only Shakir. However, it’s a relatively modest signing compared to some of the money being thrown around at wide receiver this offseason. Until the full details come in, it remains to be seen how close to the $12 million APY Palmer’s deal will be and how far into the deal the team would have an out. The Bills usually structure their contracts to minimize cap hits the year they are signed to help their overall flexibility, which means this modest signing will likely not take up a huge chunk of their approximately $12-$20 million (the actual amount is unknown without full Allen and Terrel Bernard extension details). But because of how they structure their deals, they’ll likely have the cap space to allow them to make other free-agent moves. With some simple restructures, the Bills could have even more space.

Outlook

Palmer isn’t a game-changing acquisition for the offense, but he is the piece they needed in so many different spots for their receiver room last year. Because of his background as mostly a rotational receiver in his time before Buffalo, the Bills will likely utilize him in a similar manner to help keep the full group fresh. Palmer does not, however, rule the team out from using an early draft pick on a receiver to complete their room. Regardless of the draft, having a receiver in Palmer who can separate and win vertically is a welcomed addition and one that could help bring some of that deep-ball magic Allen is known for back into the picture in 2025.

Required reading

(Top photo: Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)