The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Buffalo Bills' camp is taking place at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, and Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and, of course, the quarterbacks room.

What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Bills camp. We will update this file often. How will the transition to Jim Leonhard's defense go? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?

Dive in to all the updates and be sure to check back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins Aug. 13.

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Saturday, Aug. 8

On Saturday night, the Bills held their annual "Return of the Blue and Red" practice at Highmark Stadium. It was the Bills' first football activities in their new $2.1 billion home.

The official welcome featured plenty of fireworks, quite literally.

One of the biggest came during a two-minute drill, when quarterback Josh Allen found wide receiver Khalil Shakir, as he darted past safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and twisted his way into the end zone. Moments later, Allen joined him in the celebration by sliding into the end zone.

As coach Joe Brady described it, "Josh throwing an unbelievable play to Khalil."

The night went smoothly, outside of a brief downpour midpractice, and players later marveled at the arena.

"Wow," tight end Dawson Knox said. "... I got here four hours early. I was just walking around on the field, taking myself on a little tour around everything, just kind of looking at all the details and just taking it in, because it still doesn't feel real yet. ... It's the coolest place I've ever played football in."

More observations:

• Nickel corner Dee Alford had a nice interception off Allen. The defense made a show of celebrating the pick, even being a bit late to get to the next play.

• RB Ty Johnson went down during one-on-one drills with a right leg injury. He was helped off the field by athletic trainers and did not return to practice.

• Starting center Connor McGovern also was injured on the first play of 11-on-11 drills. He returned to play, but then needed further attention from athletic trainers, who were looking at his right leg. McGovern then walked off the field and did not return. Lloyd Cushenberry III filled in for him (outside of a brief appearance by Sedrick Van Pran-Granger). Brady did not have an update on McGovern or Johnson after practice.

• Cornerback Maxwell Hairston missed a second straight practice because of an undisclosed injury. Rookie DT Zane Durant, P Mitch Wishnowsky, DB D.J. Miller and WR Mac Dalena also did not participate.

• The punting job remains Tommy Doman Jr.'s to lose. With Wishnowsky out, Doman punted and held for kicker Tyler Bass, who made all eight of his field goal attempts. The rookie had one fumble, but otherwise a solid day.

• Rookie undrafted free agent CB Kani Walker continues to be a surprise in camp.

Friday, Aug. 7

The Bills wrapped up training camp at St. John Fisher University with a shorter practice in pads.

Quarterback Josh Allen said one of his takeaways from the time away from Buffalo is how close the team has gotten.

"This group from offense to defense is the tightest knit group that I've been around really since I've entered the league," Allen said. "The defense is meshing so well together. Just even when you walk in the dorm room or walk in the cafeteria, guys sitting down, talking, really getting to know each other.

"There's just a lot of love on this team and that'll show on the field."

Allen pointed to the veteran leadership new OLB Bradley Chubb brings as well as the growth of two-time captain ILB Terrel Bernard in helping the team get to where it is.

The Bills now head back to Orchard Park, New York, and camp practice starts with the first football work in the new Highmark Stadium on Saturday night.

Other observations:

• Two defenders took trips to the medical tent during practice. Rookie defensive tackle Zane Durant went in briefly but returned to the sideline with his helmet. Projected starting nickel Dee Alford was slow to get up after defending a pass by Allen to wide receiver Joshua Palmer. He returned to the sideline without his helmet, and second-year DB Jordan Hancock filled in during the absence, but practice ended quickly afterward.

• LT Dion Dawkins had a veteran rest day. Backups Tylan Grable and then Jude Bowry spent time with the first-team offense. Bowry dealt with penalty issues from the officials present at the session.

• No practice for CB Maxwell Hairston, WR Mac Dalena or DB D.J. Miller. Coach Joe Brady said the Bills were being precautionary with Hairston after an injury Thursday. Rookie CB Davison Igbinosun worked with the first-team defense in Hairston's place.

• Former Bills pass rusher Von Miller has posted photos recently alluding to a desire to re-sign with Buffalo. Bills GM and president of football operations Brandon Beane said, "I talk to Von all the time. We're buds. But yeah, I mean, listen, I love Von. You could name 10 other ex-Bills that if everything lined up right, you wouldn't say no to a guy like that. But beyond that, there's nothing imminent or nothing going."

Thursday, Aug. 6

A significant first came from kicker Tyler Bass at practice. Returning after missing the entire 2025 season with a sports hernia, Bass practiced kickoffs and field goals on the main training camp field for the first time this camp. He went 5-of-7, with both misses coming from 45-plus yards. Bass had kicked once in a practice open to the media in the spring.

Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said earlier in the week that Bass had been kicking outside of open practices and that it was not planned for him to kick in practice until this point.

"Just the whole organization, I think, Joe [Brady], Jeff ... have done a great job of just integrating me at the right pace," Bass said. "And just letting me be the best version of myself, and that's where I'm seeing a lot of growth in."

Other observations:

• Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (calf) and defensive tackle Deone Walker (left elbow) participated in the individual and team periods of practice. Walker is wearing a brace on his left arm.

• WR Keon Coleman had an up-and-down day with a nice catch on a pass from quarterback Josh Allen but also a drop later that left him vocalizing frustration.

• The splash play of the day came from Allen with a deep pass to recently acquired WR Dante Pettis. If the play had taken place during a game, it would have drawn flags and a review.

• ILBs Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard are back participating in 11-on-11 drills, and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard made it clear there would be roles on the defense during the season for both of those players and rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr, who has taken advantage of significant practice time due to other injuries. "The physical skill set of those three guys, I think it's going be a lot of fun to work with."

Tuesday, Aug. 4

The Bills wore full pads during 11-on-11 drills for the first time in training camp. And with the pads came the fighting.

Players had to be separated several times, with the back-and-forth talk starting between the offensive and defensive lines even before the team periods. One big altercation came when rookie inside linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr didn't realize the play was over and made contact with tight end Dalton Kincaid. The offense did not appreciate the late hit, and coach Joe Brady even had some words after the things calmed.

One player who was consistently in the middle of the fighting and got involved in that one is offensive lineman Alec Anderson.

"Well, I didn't enjoy hitting our guy after the whistle, but I enjoyed punching him in the face a couple times and choking him out," Anderson said. "So, that's always enjoyable."

Veteran edge rusher Bradley Chubb said that he loved the physicality the team brought.

"You'd rather say chill than sic 'em," Chubb said. "So, when you got a team full of sic 'ems, that's a good thing. But at the end of the day, we got to make sure we channel our energy in the right place."

More observations:

• Quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver DJ Moore connected for arguably the most eye-popping play of camp thus far. Allen found Moore deep downfield with three defenders -- cornerbacks Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston and safety Cole Bishop -- trailing Moore. After it initially appeared Moore wouldn't catch up to the pass from Allen, the ball landed in the right spot for Moore to stretch out his arms midstride to bring it in. Fellow wide receiver Khalil Shakir said, "[Moore and Allen's] connection has been unreal" and that the play was so beautiful, it feels "fake."

Moore to come. 👀 pic.twitter.com/uQYxqTxoCN

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 4, 2026

• Rookie edge rusher TJ Parker was involved in the beginning of a skirmish.

• Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (right calf strain) worked to the side early in practice.

• DT Deone Walker sat out a second straight practice after tweaking his elbow. He said that he was fitted for a brace Monday and hoping to be back practicing Thursday with the brace.

• The top training camp battles continued to see rotations, including left guard (Anderson/Austin Corbett).

Monday, Aug. 3

The rain poured down at St. John Fisher University for the third time in the Bills' four training camp practices. The difficult weather lasted the entirety of the team's first practice wearing pads -- which was short-lived.

The team took off the pads before 11-on-11 drills got underway, another noticeable Joe Brady change.

"Coming out the first day of pads, and everyone's just adjusting and kind of thinking about all the pads," Brady said.

"Today's more of the intentionality of ... we're coming off an off day. Let's wake up with the mentality that we got to put our pads on. Let's get used to it."

Tight end Dawson Knox said he appreciates Brady trying to see things from the player perspective.

There was a hint of risk due to slippery grass. The concrete track surrounding the field wasn't far from where the players were working in the red zone. The team appeared to avoid any major injury.

"It kind of brings you back to just kind of being a kid ... playing football with your friends in the rain," tight end Dalton Kincaid said.

"Hoping for some sunshine ahead."

More observations:

• Brady did not offer a timeline for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who suffered a lower calf strain Saturday, to return but said the Bills were "fortunate" it was not a more severe injury. Gardner-Johnson was not present at Monday's practice.

• Safety Damar Hamlin took first-team reps initially in Gardner-Johnson's absence and then veteran Geno Stone had some time with the unit as well.

• Second-year defensive tackle Deone Walker did not participate in practice. He worked to the side with athletic trainers during the individual periods.

• Tight end Dalton Kincaid went down during 11-on-11 drills and received attention from athletic trainers but said after practice that he got hit by a knee in the "family jewels" and is OK.

• Inside linebacker Dorian Williams took part in team drills for the first time during camp.

Saturday, Aug. 1

Despite the injury suffered Saturday to projected starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the Bills' defense showed it can still come together in the face of adversity.

Inside linebacker Terrel Bernard made his camp debut Saturday in 11-on-11 drills, pairing with rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr. Linebacker Dorian Williams has not progressed yet to 11-on-11 work but was alongside Bernard in 7-on-7 drills. Elarms-Orr has seen opportunities with the absences, but Bernard getting more reps is a sign the unit is moving forward.

Moore to come. 👀 pic.twitter.com/uQYxqTxoCN

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 4, 2026

Rookie safety Jalon Kilgore remains further down the depth chart but continues to make plays, including an interception.

When it comes to defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard putting his defense together, OLB Bradley Chubb noted one thing that stands out.

"The difference I've seen in him versus other DCs I've been with is, when we're installing, he's installing with the reason why we're installing. It's never just putting a play in just to put a play in," Chubb said. "Each play has a purpose, has a reason, and he tells exactly what he wants out of us in that play. And when you got a guy like that, it's easy to play for because you know where you stand."

More observations:

• Saturday featured the first sunny day of training camp practice and the longest session yet. The team huddled together before a final set of 11-on-11 drills to end the practice.

• Wide receiver Joshua Palmer stretched to make a nice catch near the sideline, bringing in the ball midstride, on a pass from quarterback Josh Allen. Palmer ran the short distance remaining into the end zone and then punted the ball into the air in celebration. The receiver getting into a rhythm would be a positive for the Bills after Palmer dealt with injuries last season.

• The running backs room -- James Cook III, Ty Johnson and Ray Davis -- has been noticeably more involved as pass catchers in practices, which is something to keep an eye on if that production increases this season.

• The Bills had full attendance at practice.

Thursday, July 30

The budding relationship between quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver DJ Moore was on display once again during the second practice of training camp.

Moore, the team's biggest offseason acquisition, had highlight catches on both days of camp: a sideline diving grab during the first practice and a deep pass for a touchdown on Thursday. Moore is already getting No. 1 receiver-type treatment from Allen and the first-team offense. Moore described the first two days of camp with the 2024 MVP as "really good."

Allen has taken time during practice to talk with the veteran receiver and the pair have emphasized having communication in a variety of ways.

"[Before camp] he was in LA, I was moving houses and selling houses, so ... just getting out here early and just going back and forth like we are," Moore said about building on their relationship. "Constant communication on the field between the two days, and we're just [going to] keep building.

The quarterback also noted how not trying to be perfect has helped his rapport with Moore.

"I feel myself trying to be perfect when I'm throwing to him in some of the routes on air," Allen said after the first day of camp. "And [on Wednesday] I walked up to him and said I'm just going to throw it. I'm going to pick a spot and let it go. I'm not trying to aim it anymore. And I feel like once I said that things kind of clicked for us. And each day that goes by, we are going to get more comfortable with each other."

More observations:

• Running back James Cook III staged a hold-in before receiving his four-year contract extension during his last year's training camp. Two other running backs appear to be doing the same this year: Falcons' Bijan Robinson and Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs. When asked about other players following suit, Cook said, "Go for it. Get your money."

• The biggest training camp position battle faced off during team drills as starting left guard prospects Austin Corbett and Alec Anderson split the work.

• Rookie safety Jalon Kilgore stood out, breaking up a couple of passes during 11-on-11 drills.

• Starting cornerback Christian Benford has taken on more of a leadership role going into this season. The fifth-year veteran hyped up defensive players in a huddle before they headed out for team drills. The last player off the field, Benford also made sure to sign a fan's Benford jersey after signing autographs on the other side of the field and talking with media.