Gabe Davis injury: Bills receiver has torn ACL, adding uncertainty to thin position group vs. Broncos

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis tore his ACL in the Bills' 27-24 wild card round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, coach Sean McDermott said Monday. Davis' season is over.

Davis, 26, returned to Buffalo this season after spending last season with the Jaguars. He didn't make his season debut until Week 11 but quickly took a prominent role in the receiver rotation. He started five of the Bills' final eight games and finished the regular season with 12 catches for 129 yards.

Davis caught two of three targets for 14 yards against Jacksonville on Sunday before taking a nasty hit to his knee early in the fourth quarter. He was helped to the sideline and then eventually carted off the field. He had played roughly half of Buffalo's snaps to that point.

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Nicknamed "Big Game Gabe" for his previous playoff performances -- including a four-touchdown game against the Kansas City Chiefs four years ago -- Davis was one of several Bills who got banged up ahead of a divisional round matchup against the Denver Broncos, and his injury puts an already struggling receiver unit in more trouble.

Bills receiver situation vs. Broncos

Buffalo has been rolling with a by committee receiver approach all season, though the members of that committee often rotate.

Khalil Shakir has been the one constant. The slot man played on 71% of Buffalo's offensive snaps against Jacksonville, the highest of any receiver. He finished with 12 catches for 82 yards; no other player had more than three catches.

Tyrell Shavers (54% snap share) and Brandin Cooks (48%) were next in line. Cooks had three catches for 58 yards, including a crucial 36-yarder on the game-winning drive. Cooks, a midseason addition, has been up and down in his short time in Buffalo, seemingly alternating big plays and drops. Shavers had one catch for 14 yards, and he also suffered a knee injury the Bills are still evaluating, McDermott said.

The only other receiver with a catch was Keon Coleman, who brought in his lone target for a 36-yard gain. Coleman, the 2024 second-round pick who was a healthy scratch at times this season, played 43% of Buffalo's offensive snaps. He was only active Sunday because Josh Palmer (ankle) was unable to play; Palmer was ultimately placed on injured reserve.

With Davis and Palmer out and Shavers dealing with an injury, Coleman's role could increase. He's a big body (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) who has flashed the ability to win 50-50 balls but struggled with consistency throughout his brief career.

The Bills also opened the practice window for Curtis Samuel, who has not played since mid-November due to neck and elbow injuries. It remains to be determined whether he will be able to play. 

Currently, Buffalo has just four healthy wide receivers on its active roster: Shakir, Cooks, Coleman and Shavers. Mecole Hardman and Stephen Gosnell are on the practice squad. Hardman has appeared in just two games this season while battling injuries, and Gosnell has never appeared in an NFL game.