The Buffalo Bills are already looking past last week’s win and toward a Thursday night showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers, but the receiver room is giving them reason to shop for extra help.
DJ Moore left the Detroit game with a shoulder injury and remains a question mark for Week 3. Keon Coleman also needed a brief trip to the sideline before returning, leaving the staff to wonder how many healthy bodies Josh Allen will have available when the Chargers visit Highmark Stadium.
On Monday, the team brought in a pair of former SEC wideouts for workouts, a clear sign they are preparing for the possibility that Moore sits. One of those visitors was Chris Hilton Jr., the speedy LSU product who ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash yet went undrafted this spring, via the NFL transaction wire.
Over five college seasons he managed only 41 catches for 780 yards and six touchdowns.
Evaluators have long praised his ability to stretch the field, noting an average of 19 yards per reception, but they have also flagged thin production, inconsistent route running, and a history of injuries that limited his opportunities.
Speed still sells in the NFL, and that trait alone earned him a look in Orchard Park.
The other workout participant was Shedrick Jackson, who played at Auburn before brief stops with the Raiders and Bengals. Neither signing is guaranteed, but the timing is not accidental. With a short week and limited practice time before the Chargers game, Buffalo is buying itself options.
Head coach Joe Brady struck a cautious but optimistic note about Moore. The extra rest that comes with a Thursday night schedule, he said, should help several players recover.
Brady also pointed to Moore’s reputation for toughness and indicated the veteran would play if his body allows it. That is the same message the organization has given all week: wait and see.
The Chargers have opened 0-2 and are seven-point underdogs on the road. Even so, a depleted Bills passing attack would give Los Angeles a chance to keep the game closer than the spread suggests.
Allen has carried Buffalo through injuries before, but another week without his top target would test the supporting cast and the coaching staff’s ability to scheme around missing pieces.
Whether Hilton or Jackson ends up on the roster may depend on how Moore looks when the team returns to the practice field Wednesday.
For now, the Bills are treating the situation as insurance rather than panic, quietly adding depth while they wait for their injured receivers to declare themselves ready.
The next few days will decide whether that insurance policy is cashed in or simply filed away.
