Bills Shake Up Team Dynamics with Unexpected Thursday Roster Moves

So here we go again—Buffalo Bills fans gearing up for yet another season shadowed by the ghosts of playoff heartbreaks. Four times in five seasons, the Bills have faced off against the Chiefs in the postseason only to fall short, and if you think that stings, well, you’re not alone. But hey, isn’t sports partly about chasing that elusive redemption? The 2025 campaign kicks off Sunday night with a fiery rematch against the Ravens, a game that might just set the tone for Buffalo’s “this-is-our-year” narrative. With some fresh roster tweaks—hello, Sam Franklin Jr. and the ever-reliable Matt Prater—and the unfortunate absence of DeWayne Carter, the Bills are juggling hope, grit, and injuries like seasoned pros. It begs the question: can this patchwork defense finally stitch together a playoff run that ends differently? Strap in because the season opener might be more than just a game—it’s a statement.

The Buffalo Bills have extremely high expectations this season after yet another devastating playoff loss in last year’s AFC Championship game, which was the fourth time Buffalo has lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs in the last five seasons.

The redemption arc all starts on Sunday when the Bills open the 2025 regular season with a rematch of last year’s divisional round against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

Buffalo made a trio of roster moves on Thursday ahead of the battle, which included signing defensive back Sam Franklin Jr. to the active roster from the practice squad, while also signing kicker Matt Prater to the practice squad and placing defensive tackle DeWayne Carter on injured reserve.

Roster moves:

– Signed DB Sam Franklin Jr. to the active roster from the practice squad

– Signed K Matt Prater to the practice squad (#15)

– Placed DT DeWayne Carter on Injured Reserve.

More info on Franklin & Prater pic.twitter.com/Fv89r66jNa

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 4, 2025

Franklin is in his first year with the Bills after spending the first five years of his career with the Carolina Panthers, where he served as a consistent depth piece at safety before falling mostly out of the rotation last year.

Prater recently turned 41 and has proven in recent years that his skills have not diminished with age, as he made all six of his attempts for the Arizona Cardinals last year with a long of 57 yards.

He made over 80 percent of his kicks during his four years with the Cardinals and is great insurance in case Tyler Bass isn’t able to adequately recover from the hip and groin injuries that have limited him in practice this week.

Losing Carter to a torn Achilles this offseason was a rough blow, as the 2024 third-round pick was poised to take on a bigger role in this defense.

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