The Buffalo Bills have the reigning NFL MVP, and the AFC playoffs are clear of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow. On paper, this should be the clearest path to the Super Bowl Josh Allen has ever faced.
Still, injuries to an already shaky wide receiver room have left Allen with limited weapons, making it an uphill climb for Buffalo’s offense to navigate three consecutive road wins in the AFC.
When the Bills traded Stefon Diggs in 2024, they did so confident in spreading the ball around and operating without a true No. 1 receiver in Joe Brady’s run-heavy offense. They’re hoping that approach pays off—but the options are growing thin.
Here’s a look at every one of Allen’s options in the passing game, ranked.
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Ranking Josh Allen's best receiving options
1. Khalil Shakir
The Bills effectively elevated Shakir to the No. 1 wide receiver role in 2024 after trading Diggs, but he topped out at 821 yards over 15 games, transitioning from a deep-threat to a more well-rounded role. In 2025, Shakir posted 719 yards and four touchdowns, averaging a career-low 10 yards per reception while maintaining a similar catch rate to the previous season.
Shakir’s numbers don’t reflect what a typical No. 1 receiver would produce—but that’s largely by design. The Bills know they don’t have a true top target, so they are comfortable running the ball between Allen and James Cook and spreading passes across their entire group of receivers.
2. Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid has delivered a solid bounce-back season after a disappointing 2024, totaling 571 yards and five touchdowns over 12 games while setting a career-high with 14.6 yards per catch. He caught 39 of his 49 targets in the regular season and recorded two 100-yard games. However, his production has dipped since returning from a knee injury in December, raising concerns about his health as the Bills continue their playoff run.
MORE: What are Bills' top WR options after injuries?
3. Brandin Cooks
Few could have imagined veteran Brandin Cooks would be one of the Bills' most pivotal offensive weapons at this point in the season, and not just because he spent most of the regular season playing for the New Orleans Saints. Originally signed as depth, Cooks only recorded one catch over his first four games in Buffalo before breaking through with 101 yards in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and hauling in three catches for 58 yards in Buffalo's wild-card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
For now, Cooks is one of the most trustworthy targets in Allen's arsenal, for better of worse.
4. Dawson Knox
Knox have shifted into less of a pass-catching role since Kincaid's arrival in 2023, but he was forced to step up a bit in that department this season with Kincaid missing five games and the pass-catching group thinner than the Bills would like. The veteran tight end had 417 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season, recording nine games with multiple catches and hauling in 13 receptions in Buffalo's playoff win over the Jaguars.
While he only caught for more than 40 yards in a game once this season, Knox continues to be ol' reliable for Allen after seven years together.
5. Keon Coleman
Coleman has had a sophomore season to forget, as he became a healthy scratch at times down the stretch but now could be poised for a larger role with Gabe Davis and Tyrrell Shavers both out for the season with ACL tears.
The former second-round pick had 556 yards as a rookie and seemed poised for a breakout season with 112 yards in the Bills' season opener in September, but he has fallen out of favor over time and still had only one catch for 36 yards in the Bills' playoff opener. With the options limited, Coleman just might have a chance at a second act in the weeks ahead.
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6. Curtis Samuel
The Bills are activating Curtis Samuel from injured reserve for the divisional round after a two-month absence, and his return comes at an ideal time even if he wasn't expected to be a major factor in the passing game this season. The veteran Samuel had only seven catches in six games in the regular season, but he was a bit of a gadget player for Buffalo in 2024 with 31 catches and could allow Joe Brady to get a little more creative if he truly is close to full health.
7. Jackson Hawes
Hawes, the Bills' third tight end, had 187 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season as a rookie out of Georgia Tech, starting eight games. While he only had three games with more than one catch and didn't record a catch in the Bills' playoff win over the Jaguars, Hawes is a healthy body at a time when Buffalo is running out of healthy bodies, potentially setting up for some targets if the team continues on in the playoffs.