The Buffalo Bills added cornerback depth Tuesday by signing 25-year-old A.J. Woods to the practice squad ahead of their Monday night game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The move came two days after Buffalo dropped its first game of the season, a 29-26 home loss to the New England Patriots. The Bills entered that contest at 3-0 and now sit at 3-1, still first in the AFC East.
Woods has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game across two seasons. He arrives as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh who began his professional career with the Washington Commanders in 2024.
The Commanders released him during final roster cuts that August. He later joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad and was part of the team that won Super Bowl LIX.
At Pittsburgh, Woods played five seasons and appeared in 59 games. He finished with 105 total tackles, four interceptions, 25 passes defended, seven tackles for loss and two sacks.
He measured 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds at his 2024 pro day, where he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, posted a 6.56-second three-cone drill and completed 16 bench-press repetitions.
After the Eagles waived him in August 2025, Woods spent a short stretch on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad before finishing the year on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad. The Falcons released him during 2026 roster cuts.
His brief time in Denver overlapped with Jim Leonhard, now Buffalo’s defensive coordinator. That prior exposure is one factor cited around the signing as the Bills look for additional bodies in the secondary.
Buffalo’s defense allowed a season-high 405 yards in Sunday’s loss. Through four games the unit has surrendered 107 points, an average of 26.8 per game that ranks 25th in the league.
New England wide receiver Efton Chism III scored the decisive touchdown on a diving, one-handed catch with less than two minutes remaining. Starting cornerback Christian Benford was inactive with a toe injury, forcing other defensive backs into extended snaps.
Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson addressed the play afterward.
“We’re not going to get into any bulletin board material,” Gardner-Johnson said. “An elevated guy made a hell of a catch — probably won’t hear from him again. …A practice squad player made a hell of a play. That’s all I’m going to tell you. You do it again, and he probably won’t make it again.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel responded when told of the remarks.
“For a guy that has been on eight teams in four years, I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said.
Woods is not projected to see immediate defensive snaps. Practice-squad additions of this type often surface later if injuries or performance open roster spots during the season.
The Bills face the Rams on Monday night with the secondary still sorting coverage issues exposed against New England. Additional depth gives the coaching staff another option while evaluating younger corners already on the roster.
