Source: Bills releasing Hardman, Wishnowsky
Alaina GetzenbergAug 29, 2026, 11:31 AM ET
- Alaina Getzenberg covers the Buffalo Bills for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills are releasing veteran returner and wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
A source also confirmed to ESPN that the team is releasing veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky with rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr. earning the starting job. The moves come as the Bills work to get the roster down to 53 players ahead of the NFL deadline on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
Hardman's best chance at an active roster was as a punt returner, but the Bills began giving running back and kick returner Ray Davis more opportunities to return punts as well, lowering Hardman's odds. Davis did muff a punt in the third preseason game. It remains to be seen what the team's long-term answer at punt returner is, but the Bills ultimately decided to use a roster spot elsewhere.
The three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs originally signed to the Bills practice squad in November last season. Hardman, 28, was active for in three regular season games and one playoff game in 2025.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.