The Buffalo Bills released Mitch Wishnowsky and Mecole Hardman Jr. on August 29, moving closer to the NFL's 53-man mandate before the August 30 deadline. The cuts came as the team had to trim a 91-man summer roster by 38 players by 6 p.m. EDT.
That is why Corey Kiner is not the only name drawing attention around roster cutdown week, even if he is not part of this move. Buffalo had to finish its roster business quickly, and the two veteran departures landed before the clock ran out on Sunday. The Bills were also listed by FanDuel Sportsbook with the best odds of making the AFC playoffs at -330 and the second-best odds of winning Super Bowl LXI at +1000, which only sharpened the focus on every final decision.
Hardman was the more significant loss in the short term because he had been in line to be the team's primary punt returner, but his preseason never quite matched that role. He went through an underwhelming camp and preseason, including prominent drops as a receiver, and that made the cut easier to understand even if it did not make it painless.
Wishnowsky's release points in a different direction. Tommy Doman Jr. will get a featured opportunity to punt for Buffalo in 2026, so the move clears the path for a younger answer at the position. In roster terms, the Bills are not done just because two veterans are gone: a release does not always mean the end of the road, since either player could still be brought back on the practice squad if the team chooses to make room later.
The cleanest read is that Buffalo has started the hard part of cutdown day with two visible moves and still has more to do before 6 p.m. EDT on August 30. Hardman's expected return role is suddenly open, Wishnowsky is out, and the final 53 may still shift again before the deadline closes the door.
