Bills elevate WR John Brown to gameday roster

Quietly, the Bills reached an agreement to bring back John Brown last weekend. They are set to give him another try starting against the Patriots.

The Bills elevated the veteran wide receiver Thursday, moving him up from the practice squad. This transaction does not make Brown a full-fledged part of the Bills’ active roster, as the 2020 CBA allows for two gameday elevations, but Brown being in uniform with the Bills again is certainly notable.

Buffalo used Brown as its No. 1 wide receiver back in 2019, when the team added both him and Cole Beasley in free agency. Brown, who signed a three-year deal worth $27M to move from Baltimore to Buffalo, notched his second 1,000-yard season that year. Injuries intervened for the Division II success story in 2020, and the Bills cut bait last year and added Emmanuel Sanders. The team did not re-sign Sanders or Beasley this offseason.

Brown, 32, has not caught a pass since his Bills release. The former Cardinals draftee has bounced around since the cut, seeing game action for the Broncos, Jaguars and Buccaneers last season. Those cameos came after the Raiders released Brown before the start of last season. He will supply some depth for a Bills team that has been without Jamison Crowder for a while due to a fractured ankle.

Beginning his ninth NFL season, Brown will join a Bills team that features Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie. Usage-wise, Brown is unlikely to approach his former role — one that led to a 72-reception, 1,060-yard, six-touchdown campaign in Josh Allen's second season — but he certainly provides the Bills with experience. This will be Brown’s 101st career game.