ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Bills signed receiver Kenny Stills to their practice squad on Monday, adding valuable experienced depth to their roster in time for the playoffs.
Stills is an eighth-year player who was cut by the Texans in late November after having difficulty establishing a role in Houston’s Deshaun Watson-led offense with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown.
In Buffalo, he joins the AFC East champion Bills (13-3) who are preparing to host the Indianapolis Colts (11-5) in a wild-card playoff game on Saturday.
Stills provides Buffalo insurance in the event starter Cole Beasley remains sidelined with a knee injury that forced him to miss a season-ending 56-26 win over Miami on Sunday. Beasley is listed week to week and his status is uncertain for this week.
Coach Sean McDermott last week said the Bills’ interest in Stills was unrelated to Beasley’s injury by noting general manager Brandon Beane had already expressed interest in signing the receiver.
Buffalo features a productive group of receivers headed by Stefon Diggs, who finished the season leading the NFL with 127 catches and 1,535 yards receiving. The group includes John Brown, who scored a touchdown on Sunday in his first game after missing five with a knee injury and a stint on the reserve-COVID-19 list.
Buffalo’s receivers are rounded out by rookie Gabriel Davis, who finished second on the team with seven touchdowns, Isaiah McKenzie and return specialist Andre Roberts.
Stills has topped 500 yards receiving six times, with his best season coming in 2014 with New Orleans, when he had career bests with 63 catches and 931 yards. He enjoyed his most productive stretch during a four-year stint with Miami from 2015-18, during which Stills combined for 164 catches for 2,566 yards and scored 24 of his career 37 touchdowns.
In other moves, tight end Tyler Kroft was activated from the reserve-COVID-19 list.
Buffalo also signed receiver Tanner Gentry to the practice squad. Gentry spent the 2017 season with the Chicago Bears following a senior season at Wyoming where he played with Bills quarterback Josh Allen. To make room on their practice squad, the Bills released receivers Gary Jennings and J.J. Nelson.
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