Bills Shock Fans: Buffalo Bills Waive Elijah Moore Moments After Signing Brandin Cooks

The Buffalo Bills shook up their receiver room on Wednesday, waiving former second-round pick Elijah Moore just hours after officially adding veteran Brandin Cooks to the roster. Moore, 25, now heads to the waiver wire with nine catches for 112 yards and six rushing attempts for 24 yards and a touchdown through Week 12, a modest stat line that ultimately cost him a roster spot behind emerging options Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman. The move ends a brief and under-the-radar stint in Buffalo for Moore, who signed a one-year, $5 million prove-it deal in April after being traded from Cleveland last offseason. The Ole Miss product entered the league as a dynamic slot weapon for the New York Jets in 2021, flashing big-play ability with 538 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, but injuries and scheme changes have slowed his momentum ever since. With Cooks immediately slotting in as Josh Allen’s new deep threat, the Bills appear committed to a veteran-plus-youth blend that leaves little room for redundancy in the slot. Moore’s release also frees roughly $1.2 million in cap space, giving general manager Brandon Beane flexibility ahead of the December waiver period. Several receiver-needy contenders could place a claim before Thursday’s deadline. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo’s Week 13 opponent, have already lost Calvin Austin III to a high-ankle sprain, while the Kansas City Chiefs remain thin behind rookie Xavier Worthy. Moore’s contract is affordable, and his age aligns with teams searching for controllable upside down the stretch. Fantasy football managers should monitor his landing spot closely. Moore has shown WR2 ceilings when featured, averaging 15.7 PPR points during a six-game hot streak as a Jet in 2021. A reunion with Browns play-caller Ken Dorsey in Cleveland is also plausible if he clears waivers, given Deshaun Watson’s need for reliable underneath targets. For Buffalo, the calculus is simple: get Allen another proven separator and trust that Cooks, Shakir, and rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders can supply enough firepower for a postseason push. Moore’s next chapter starts now, and it could reshape more than one playoff race by the time January arrives.