With the initial 53-man roster and practice squad set, Bills players shared their thoughts on the makeup of the roster. Read the biggest takeaways below.
"Wanted to be a Bill" | Shaq Thompson wants to spend Year 12 in Buffalo
A familiar face was signed to Buffalo's practice squad on Monday, as linebacker Shaq Thompson is back on the roster. After playing for Carolina for 10 years, the linebacker spent last year with the Bills, was a free agent this offseason and now rejoins his old team ahead of the regular season.
In his 12th season, Thompson couldn't envision playing anywhere else.
"I wanted to be a Bill," Thompson said. "I wanted to play football. I wanted to be around these guys. They brought football back for me, just the enjoyment of it."
General manager Brandon Beane said he and Thompson stayed in touch throughout the offseason. According to Thompson, now felt like the right time to come back because he wanted to give his body time to heal.
"It was just letting my body heal; letting it relax," Thompson said. "We stayed in contact, and it was the perfect time to come back. My body feels great. Hamstring feels great, Achilles feels great, neck feels good."
As the veteran feels good heading into the season, he's also feeling out a new coaching staff. Thompson said it's nothing new to him as he played for different coaches during his time with the Panthers. The LB said it's important to know how to adapt and adjust, and he's doing that as he steps into a new Bills defense.
"For me, I think I can play anywhere," Thompson said. "I can play on the ball, off the ball. I can play in space. I can play dime. I can play Mike (linebacker). I think my versatility can be used very well."
While the Bills signed Thompson to the practice squad because of his talent and versatility, they also brought him back because of his leadership skills. The veteran was an important leader in the locker room last year. Right now, Thompson is getting acclimated and will step back into leading soon.
"I wasn't here in OTAs. I wasn't here in training camp but still have the same mindset," Thompson said. "But, I have to ease into it. Some of the guys are new, some of the guys I played with last year, and some guys would probably want me to step up and do something … I have to go out there and play, put in the work with them, practice, and all that type of stuff before I even start becoming a leader."
Gardner-Johnson shares his internal motivation for injury recovery
Bills starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was one of a handful of players to return to practice this week after dealing with an injury. With the countdown to Week 1 underway, Gardner-Johnson is confident he'll be available.
"It feels great to be back out with my guys. I'm ready to go against the first team this season," he said.
The veteran safety also gave insight into how he's been able to quickly rebound from two lower body injuries during training camp and preseason.
"Get your ass in the training room," he said of his mentality.
Gardner-Johnson didn't always hold that belief, citing an over reliance on himself rather than going to team professionals that have a plan in place.
"My personal thing when I first got hurt in my career was leaving the building and not trusting the training staff," he said.
With the Bills, Gardner-Johnson has adjusted that mentality and has spent every day that he can in the training room rehabbing. He's even encouraged many of his teammates to do the same.
"Trusting the training staff and doing what I need to do to get back healthy, fast and normal is actually something all you guys need to do. And they've been doing that. It's been great seeing everybody in there working," Gardner-Johnson said.
Further, Gardner-Johnson has preached the message that fully believing the upcoming season will be successful for the team and last deep into the playoffs is the ultimate motivator for injured players to take their rehab seriously.
"If you believe that, then you will do everything you need to do to get in the building and keep your body healthy. That's what I'm doing," he said.
Greg Dortch feels wanted in Buffalo
Wide receiver Greg Dortch signed to Buffalo's practice squad after spending his training camp with the Detroit Lions. After being released, Dortch wanted to find the right place to call his new home, deciding that joining the Bills was the way to go.
"It's a good fit just because I'm wanted here," the receiver said. "I feel like I have the opportunity to showcase my abilities and the things that I can do, the things that I can bring to this team. It's a really good team, man. A lot of good guys on this team. I'm just really excited to show what I can do."
Western New York is a familiar place for Dortch, who was born in Rochester back in 1998 before moving to Richmond, Virginia, when he was seven years old. The chance to come back was exciting for the wideout, even despite limited memories of the area from his early childhood.
"If you ask me if I remember anything, I'd probably just say snow and cold weather," Dortch said. "… My family's here, my grandma's here. I got a lot of family out here, so yeah, I'm coming back home."
The 28-year-old caught passes from Allen for the first time on Tuesday, while also working with the special teams units as a returner. Across the first six seasons of his career, Dortch has returned 99 punts for 886 yards (8.9 average), along with 75 kickoffs for 1,773 yards (23.6 average).
Working alongside Buffalo's special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers in the past, the thought of being an asset on special teams for the Bills is one that Dortch took into heavy consideration when deciding where to sign.
"[Returning is] something that I really take pride in," Dortch said. "It's something that, in my eight-year NFL career, has kept me on teams. So I really prioritize it, and it's fun. If you ask a lot of guys, they don't want to do it because you've got 11 guys running at you full speed, but I love it."
Having some experience with how NFL roster construction can play out in the past, the former undrafted free agent is confident that he's doing all that he can to set himself up for success.
"In this business, you can't look too far ahead," Dortch said. "So I'm just taking it day by day. I feel like I did a really good job [on Tuesday]. I caught punts to start practice. Just continuing to do what I do, man. I'm a football player. I'm exciting to watch, and I love the game."
Connor McGovern returns to the practice field
Just over three weeks after being sidelined with a lower-body injury, center Connor McGovern made his return to the practice field. The 28-year-old suited up on Tuesday and Wednesday, getting back into the swing of things as Week 1 of the regular season approaches.
Despite missing some time, McGovern remained certain that he'd be ready to go for the game against the Houston Texans. Practice to start the week went as well as he'd imagined, further bolstering his confidence moving forward.
"Luckily, it's just like riding a bike, getting right back on," McGovern said. "Me and [Josh Allen] didn't miss a beat together. It was just good; the communication was great today. It was just fun to be back out on the field."
As one of the leaders in the locker room, McGovern knows how important his availability is. Now that the offensive line officially welcomes left guard Alec Anderson into the starting lineup, the group should continue to benefit from getting reps with the full unit active.
"I was very happy for him, very excited," McGovern said of Anderson. "He was pretty nervous, I remember, when he first got the questions asked after the last preseason game. Me and [Dion Dawkins] had to help him out a little bit. But I'm very happy for him, and excited to see what he can do this year."
The Texans will be a tough opponent to begin the year, especially for the offensive line, with Buffalo's group tasked with blocking two edge rushers who finished in the top eight in sacks in 2025.
Getting off to a hot start to the year will be huge for the Bills as they embark on a long regular season, understanding what the team's expectations are. McGovern is confident the group will be ready to go as the season commences, with him at the center of it all.
"I don't think, at this point, we need to say anything," McGovern said. "Everyone in our room, in this building more specifically, all knows our goal. The fans have one expectation for us, and I think all of us in this room, we put more pressure on ourselves to go out there and be great."
