Ever since Christian Wade’s 65-yard touchdown run on his very first NFL touch a couple weeks ago in the team’s first preseason game, Buffalo Bills fans have been asking questions about his roster status and future.
Then came another 48-yard catch and run this past Friday night against the Carolina Panthers, and the questions about the former UK rugby star really amped up.
Wade was allocated to the Bills as part of the NFL’s International Pathways Program, exempt from their 90-man roster during training camp and the preseason.
Beyond that, here’s the situation with Wade, as clarified by the team on Monday:
Wade is eligible to make the Bills’ final 53-man roster at the end of the preseason. If he does, there is no roster exemption. He is one of the 53 players just like everyone else.
In short, Wade is treated like any other player in the NFL right now, except for his current roster-exempt status with the Bills. He can make the team, be released, is subject to waivers, or can sign with any team’s practice squad. No different than any other player in the league with four years or less experience.
The only difference occurs if/when he isn’t signed to a team’s 10-man practice squad. At that time, the Bills can sign him (if he chooses) to their practice squad as an 11th, roster-exempt member, making him ineligible to play in the NFL in 2019.
