5 Players You Forgot Suited Up for the Buffalo Bills (2024)

Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens was a six-time Pro Bowler, earning that honor with three different teams. Owens began his 15-year NFL career with eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he made four Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro three times.

Owens then shined during stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. He had a combined nine 1,000-yard seasons with his first three teams, but do you remember his one year with the Buffalo Bills in 2009? While he didn't quite reach the 1,000-yard mark in Buffalo, he was close.

Owens isn't the only player you may have forgotten who suited up for the Bills. Which four join T.O. on this entertaining list of five?

1 Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush had just 12 carries during his short stint with the Bills in 2016

Reggie Bush is arguably one of the best college football players ever to take the field. A versatile running back out of USC, Bush claimed the Heisman Trophy in 2005 after rushing for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged 8.7 yards per carry as a junior with the Trojans.

Although the hype was there, Bush never found anywhere near that type of success in the NFL. Selected by the New Orleans Saints with the second overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, he failed to live up to that hype.

He played five seasons in New Orleans and never had more than 581 rushing yards in a season. He finished his run with the Saints with 2,090 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in July 2011.

Bush started 15 games in his first year with the Dolphins and had the best season of his career, rushing for 1,086 yards and six touchdowns and averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He just missed the 1,000-yard mark again (986) in 2012 and then signed a deal with the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2013 season.

In his first year with the Lions, Bush ran for 1,006 yards in what would be the last productive season of his 11-year pro career. The Lions released Bush after two seasons, and he signed with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2015 season.

After one year with the Niners, Bush hooked on with the Bills in 2016. In Buffalo, he appeared in 13 games, rushing 12 times for -3 yards to close out his NFL career.

2 Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens caught 55 passes in his only season with the Bills in 2009

As mentioned above, Terrell Owens made a name for himself during the first eight years of his 15-year NFL career. He spent those eight seasons with the 49ers, the team that took a shot on him in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft.

In eight seasons with the Niners, Owens made four straight Pro Bowls from 2000 to 2003 and was named a First-Team All-Pro from 2000 to 2002. After his eight seasons in San Francisco, Owens played two years with the Philadelphia Eagles, reaching the Super Bowl in his first season after hauling in 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.

From there, he played three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and continued his dominance. Owens registered three 1,000-yard seasons in Dallas and was named a First-Team All-Pro for the fifth time during the 2007 campaign.

In 2009, Owens signed with the Bills. While he fell short of his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, he still made his presence felt in Buffalo, finishing with 55 catches for 829 yards and five touchdowns.

Owens played just one year with the Bills and capped his career with one season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010.

3 Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin showed plenty of promise early as an explosive wide receiver for the Vikings

Percy Harvin was one of the most explosive wide receivers of his day, but he just couldn't stay on the field long enough to showcase his talents. A string of injuries and illnesses prevented Harvin, a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2009, from showing his full potential. During his eight-year career in the NFL, he played all 16 games just once.

He played the first four seasons with the Vikings and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after catching 60 passes for 790 yards and six touchdowns. Harvin, an explosive returner on special teams as well, missed time during the season due to recurring migraines.

Harvin's best statistical season came in 2011 when he had career-highs in catches (87) and receiving yards (967). He also finished with six touchdown catches, matching his career-best.

Harvin was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in March 2013 and injured his hip in the offseason, requiring surgery. He played one game in November but missed the rest of the season after suffering from complications from the surgery.

After playing one season with the New York Jets, Harvin signed with the Bills in 2015. He played two seasons in Buffalo and had a total of 21 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown.

4 Terrelle Pryor

Terrelle Pryor just couldn't get things rolling in the NFL, playing for five teams in seven years

Terrelle Pryor made a name for himself as a quarterback for Ohio State but had a tough time settling in with the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders took Pryor in the 2011 Supplemental Draft, and he played three seasons with the team, going 3-7 in 10 starts over that span.

Pryor played for five different teams during his seven-year NFL career and eventually made the switch to wide receiver. After his time with the Raiders, he played for the Cleveland Browns and had an outstanding 2017 season as a receiver, catching 77 passes for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns.

After short stints with the team now known as the Washington Commanders and the New York Jets, Pryor signed with the Bills in October 2018 and played two games with the team, recording two catches for 17 yards before being released in November.

5 Shawne Merriman

After three Pro Bowl seasons to start his career, injuries proved to be the downfall of Shawne Merriman

Shawne Merriman made his money with the San Diego Chargers, earning Pro Bowl honors in the first three seasons of his six years with the Bolts.

A fearless linebacker out of Maryland, Merriman was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 10 sacks and 57 tackles in his first NFL season in 2005. He followed that with the best year of his career in 2006, leading the NFL in sacks with 17 despite missing four games after being suspended for testing positive for steroids. He also finished with four forced fumbles and an interception and was named a First-Team All-Pro.

Merriman had another double-digit sack season in 2007, finishing with 12.5. He also led the NFL in tackles for loss with 19, leading to his third straight Pro Bowl selection and a Second-Team All-Pro nod.

During training camp in 2008, Merriman experienced pain in his knee and found out just before the season he had torn ligaments. He tried to play through it, but after one game, he underwent reconstructive surgery and missed the rest of the year. Merriman played two more seasons with the Chargers but was never the same and was waived after the 2010 season.

In 2011, Merriman signed with the Bills and suffered an Achilles injury during his first workout. He ultimately started six games in two seasons in Buffalo and recorded just two sacks before announcing his retirement in March 2013.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.