Bills promote preseason fan-favorite WR to active roster for Week 5 vs. Texans

The Buffalo Bills have promoted wide receiver Tyrell Shavers and defensive tackle Branson Deen to their active roster for Week 5.

Kyle Silagyi | Oct 5, 2024

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The Buffalo Bills have elevated wide receiver Tyrell Shavers and defensive tackle Branson Deen from the practice squad for their Week 5 clash with the Houston Texans, the team announced Saturday afternoon.

Both Shavers and Deen flashed throughout training camp and the preseason, with Shavers, in particular, earning consistent praise from head coach Sean McDermott, offensive coordinator Joe Brady, and quarterback Josh Allen. He was perhaps a surprise omission from the team’s 53-man roster given his summer excellence and consistent practice reps with the first-and-second-team offenses; he’s been promoted as a result of current lead wideout Khalil Shakir being ruled out for this week's game with an ankle injury. How many offensive reps Shavers sees remains to be seen, as it’s Curtis Samuel who figures to see the bulk of Shakir’s snaps; a solid gunner, Shavers may also see time on special teams.

Deen, an undersized defensive tackle who signed with the Bills after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, recorded three tackles and three pressures throughout the preseason. He impressed Buffalo’s brass throughout the summer, to the point that they opted to keep him over Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson as their developmental defensive tackle; he recorded 92 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks throughout his five-year collegiate career. Deen is set to make his NFL debut in lieu of crucial interior defender Ed Oliver, who injured his hamstring during Thursday’s practice; he’ll likely be one of four active defensive tackles alongside DaQuan Jones, DeWayne Carter, and the recently-signed Zion Logue.

Buffalo’s Week 5 matchup with the Texans is scheduled to kick off Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

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