Buffalo Bills wide receiver KJ Hamler saw a variety of usage in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, catching each of his three passes for 11 yards and rushing three times for 21 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. Hamler, a wideout by trade, lined up as a running back before plowing his way past the end zone for a short Bills score in fourth quarter on Saturday against Carolina. After Hamler missed all of 2023 as he stepped away from football altogether for treatment of a heart issue, it was nice to see the 25-year-old former second-round pick make a significant impact in the preseason finale. There's a chance Buffalo keeps him on the 53-man roster as depth for the receiving corps following this solid performance, but Hamler is unlikely to see many opportunities in 2024.
Wide receiver KJ Hamler (heart), the former second-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2020, signed a Reserve/Futures deal with the Buffalo Bills earlier this year and is looking to make a comeback in 2024 after already facing plenty of adversity in the NFL. Hamler struggled with a hamstring injury in his rookie year and tore his ACL in 2021 before dealing with another hamstring issue in 2022 and a partially torn pectoral muscle last year. In addition to all those injuries, he felt severe heart pain last summer and was diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the heart. The 25-year-old signed with the Colts' practice squad in late September but was never elevated to the active roster. The speedy downfield threat is facing an uphill battle to make Buffalo's roster out of training camp this summer, even with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis no longer around.
The Buffalo Bills aren't done playing yet, but they're already adding to their 2024 roster. On Saturday, the Bills signed wide receiver KJ Hamler to a reserve/future contract. Hamler didn't play at all this season and spent a majority of the time on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. The 2020 second-round pick has been a bust so far throughout his NFL career. There's hope that he can turn his career around, but he'll need to crack the 53-man roster in training camp.
Free-agent wide receiver K.J. Hamler signed with the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad on Saturday. Hamler was waived by the Denver Broncos during camp with a non-football illness designation. He worked out for the Colts in early September and now finds himself a member of their practice squad. It's doubtful that he the 5'9" wideout will make any fantasy impact whatsoever this season.
Free-agent wide receiver K.J. Hamler (illness) apparently had a visit with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. Hamler was waived with a non-injury designation by the Denver Broncos earlier in the preseason, with this being his first known visit with another team since the move. The speedy wideout was once a popular sleeper pick in fantasy leagues but he has dealt with a variety of injuries over his three-year career. If he winds up joining the Colts, he would compete for snaps behind starters Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce.
Denver Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler (heart, pectoral) was diagnosed with pericarditis but could return in six weeks, according to head coach Sean Payton. The expectation is that Denver will cut and re-sign Hamler in a series of procedural moves. The 24-year-old could come back and compete for the No. 3 receiver role after Tim Patrick (knee) was diagnosed with a torn Achilles, ending his 2023 season.
The Denver Broncos plan to waive wide receiver KJ Hamler (heart, pectoral) on Monday with a non-football injury designation, according to sources. However, the transaction is a procedural move and is designed with an eye toward re-signing him. Hamler's heart condition isn't overly serious, and he's expected to miss weeks, not months. 9 News' Mike Klis reported Monday that Hamler is getting treatment for a heart condition after feeling chest pains while working out before training camp. The 24-year-old was diagnosed with a mild heart condition called pericarditis. He also had offseason surgery on his pectoral muscle, so the oft-injured Hamler will continue to miss time heading into the regular season. With Tim Patrick (Achilles) now out for the season for the second straight year, there is more opportunity for Hamler, rookie Marvin Mims Jr., Kendall Hinton and Marquez Callaway behind Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
Denver Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler has been placed on the non-football injury list on Sunday. This seems like a formality after Hamler underwent major muscular surgery on his pectoral in March. It sounds like Hamler might be able to avoid landing on the PUP list, but we'll see how his recovery process goes the rest of the way. The 24-year-old has potential, but has been unable to stay healthy early in his career. The expectation is that he'll probably slot into the fourth receiver role, assuming he's healthy to begin the season.
The Denver Broncos and wide receiver KJ Hamler agreed to a slightly tweaked final year of his rookie deal on Friday. Hamler's base salary of $1.583 million will stay the same, with the chance to earn $417,000 more through incentives. The Broncos also added an injury-specific Injured Reserve split, which eases the salary cap implications for the team if he lands on IR with the specified injury. Hamler just hasn't been able to stay healthy in his short time in the NFL. He has played in just 10 games the last two seasons and is coming off surgery for a pectoral injury this offseason. The 23-year-old is expected to be ready for training camp this summer, but he'll be competing with rookie Marvin Mims Jr. for a role behind Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.
Denver Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler (pectoral) said he should be cleared for training camp at the end of July after having offseason pectoral surgery. Injuries have been the story of Hamler's career to this point, as he hasn't played more than 13 games in any of his three NFL seasons. He played in just seven games in 2022 due to a hamstring injury, and the 23-year-old pass-catcher has played in 10 combined games the last two seasons. Hamler could still be limited in what he does during camp practices, but barring a setback, he should be ready for Week 1. Fantasy managers can ignore him in standard-sized leagues, as he'll be competing for playing time with rookie Marvin Mims Jr. behind Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
