Will Skyler Bell be "Red-Shirted"?

[BillsFanForever19]

4 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

I wasn't tallking cuts or roster building.  I was just debating it in my head.  They're all pretty good on special teams.  Franklin probably the best of the bunch, but who's best at being their respective position?  Just "thinking out loud" if you will.

 

Honestly? I don't think it matters. They're all here strictly for teams and not for their positional ability.

 

And if multiple injuries were to occur that made it so that these guys at the bottom of their positional depth charts had to play meaningful snaps - Beane would acquire someone and/or bring up veterans they have on the Practice Squad.

[Maine-iac]

13 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Honestly? I don't think it matters. They're all here strictly for teams and not for their positional ability.

 

And if multiple injuries were to occur that made it so that these guys at the bottom of their positional depth charts had to play meaningful snaps - Beane would acquire someone and/or bring up veterans they have on the Practice Squad.

Yet there we were starting Sherfield against the Chiefs in a divisional playoff game. Hollins had 3 catches, 70 yards, and a TD in the playoffs vs the Chiefs the very next year.  He was also essentially signed as specail teams guy.  Again you're not wrong, it shouldn't matter that much.  I still think about it.  

[SectionC3]

Jude Bowry might be red-shirted at this point. 

[BillMafia716ix]

I like what a healthy Mecole Hardman could add and he play special teams. 

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

I like what other posters have said about the 5 week pup.

 

Pick Sherfield or Hardiman up for those 5 weeks and cut them when Bell comes back

Edited August 23 by JakeFrommStateFarm

[T master]

I think that Brady is airing on the side of caution to get Bell healthy first & fore most in some cases to learn the scheme better & will bring him along as he gets back to full health . He may even IR him for 4 games to allow him to work out with the team to learn more & develop the chemistry that him & Josh need before giving him a limited role on the field .

 

Then maybe by the end of the season if he develops the way Brady & the coaches would expect him to be up to speed to add another twist at the end of the year when they make their annual play off run ...

 

And may be enough to add to the offense to put them over the top this season !! GO BILLS !! 

Edited August 24 by T master

[Rubes]

 

[BillsFanForever19]

4 hours ago, Rubes said:

 

 

That's good news. Hopefully he's 100% and plays well on Thursday.

 

That said, I don't think it definitively guarantees the "Red Shirt" concept that Beane has utilized on Draft Picks like Justin Shorter and Vosean Joseph in recent years won't happen. 

 

It would be very simple for him to say he reaggravated the prior injury or simply isn't ready, even if he doesn't actually reaggravate it.

 

Again, not saying he should do that. Just wondering aloud with how much time he's missed and what was said about where he was at before he missed all that time.

[bigK14094]

Is Skyler Bell a Roscoe Parrish v2.0? ( Can play when healthy but always hurt!)

[Sierra Foothills]

23 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

I like what other posters have said about the 5 week pup.

 

Pick Sherfield or Hardiman up for those 5 weeks and cut them when Bell comes back

 

The problem is that under the PUP, Bell can't practice with the team.

 

Even if he's taking "mental reps" it still stunts his development.

 

I don't see any reason to write off Skyler Bell's season, either partly or wholly.

 

Edited August 24 by Sierra Foothills

[transplantbillsfan]

6 hours ago, bigK14094 said:

Is Skyler Bell a Roscoe Parrish v2.0? ( Can play when healthy but always hurt!)

 

Dude.... it's training camp of his rookie year...

[Alphadawg7]

On 8/22/2026 at 4:36 PM, BillsFanForever19 said:

There were a lot of posters excited by Skyler Bell's Prospects as a 4th Round Pick that was viewed to have been a little bit of a bargain where we took him.

 

Though in Training Camp, it appeared that he would need some time to develop (as Rookies often do) as he was reportedly clearly 5th in the pecking order, behind Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer.

 

Then he got hurt:

 

Since then, he's missed both Pre-Season games, the scrimmage against the Browns, and the Bills 2nd scrimmage practice at the stadium. Which is very important development time for a Rookie.

 

It's led me to wonder - will Beane do with him as he's done with other Day 3 Picks and IR him?

 

If he's ready, I personally wouldn't. As doing so woud delay the development process. But this is something Beane is known to do and his injury and missing important training for a Rookie lines up with Beane's M.O. when he has done this in the past. 

 

He was always going to be 5th in the peking order behind the other 4, but the injury has put him further behind, so will be interesting to see what they do as they won't be able to stash him on PS.  

[machine gun kelly]

He’s already back to practice.  He also stated yesterday this is the longest he’s been off the field in his football life.  Sounds time like he has maintained his health for a long time.  He’ll slowly get playing time as we progress throughout the year.  Whats more important is he follows the proper reads and takes cues from Josh so they are on the same page.

[BillsShredder83]

On 8/22/2026 at 7:38 PM, Big Blitz said:

I like Sherfield, Macklin, and Hardman more then the idea of Skyler Bell and whatever he is.  

Ok Bell more than Hardman.  

IR Bell. Bring back Cooks. I don't understand the argument against it. Was our best WR in playoffs last year, and Bell isn't going to seamlessly jump from MAAC to NFL. Let alone on a SB caliber team

[eball]

8 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

Dude.... it's training camp of his rookie year...

…and he’s never been hurt before. It was a pulled groin and they gave it extra rest before sending him back out. Brady even said he would have played Saturday if it was a RS game. There’s no reason to suggest the kid is injury prone. 
 

I do, however, think he will have much less of a role on this team this season than some are expecting or hoping for. 
 

[Sierra Foothills]

Bell played 5 seasons of college ball (52 games) and was the focal point of the UConn offense.

 

He had 235 touches.

 

It's doubtful that he's injury prone.

 

[transplantbillsfan]

3 hours ago, eball said:

…and he’s never been hurt before. It was a pulled groin and they gave it extra rest before sending him back out. Brady even said he would have played Saturday if it was a RS game. There’s no reason to suggest the kid is injury prone. 
 

I do, however, think he will have much less of a role on this team this season than some are expecting or hoping for. 
 

 

ala Khalil Shakira rookie season 

[Sierra Foothills]

On 8/24/2026 at 9:21 AM, Rubes said:

 

 

I read in today's Buffalo News that Skyler Bell caught an intermediate/long TD from Josh at yesterday's practice.

 

[Buffalo716]

5 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Bell played 5 seasons of college ball (52 games) and was the focal point of the UConn offense.

 

He had 235 touches.

 

It's doubtful that he's injury prone.

 

Longevity in the NFL and in college are two completely different beasts

 

You either can take the rigors of the NFL or u can't... 

@Sierra Foothills and I don't think anything suggest bell is gonna be often injured 

 

He's just dinged up

Edited August 25 by Buffalo716

[Sierra Foothills]

5 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Bell played 5 seasons of college ball (52 games) and was the focal point of the UConn offense.

 

He had 235 touches.

 

It's doubtful that he's injury prone.

 

1 minute ago, Buffalo716 said:

Longevity in the NFL and in college are two completely different beasts

 

You either can take the rigors of the NFL or u can't... But you absolutely can take too much punishment in college to where your body is already beat up by the time you get to the pros 

 

Alabama's dynasty was notorious for wearing out some players before they ever reach the pros

 

My point is that there's zero basis for speculation that Skyler Bell is injury prone.

 

Said speculation is unwarranted and irresponsible.