Wide receiver Quintez Cephus, one of the five players suspended by the NFL for gambling infractions last April, agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills, according to The Athletic.
Cephus, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was cut by the Lions last April, along with safety C.J. Moore, after their indefinite suspension for betting on NFL games.
Along with Cephus and Moore, Lions wideouts Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill were suspended for six games, while Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney also earned a suspension that would last for at least the entire 2023 season.
Cephus was one of five players the NFL reinstated earlier this month.
He addressed the Bills deal earlier Sunday on X, writing in a post, “Thank you God” and adding a Bills Mafia hashtag at the end.
Before the suspension, Cephus had collected 37 catches for 568 yards and four touchdowns across three seasons with the Lions, but after his name surfaced with the gambling violations, Detroit opted to part ways with him immediately after the suspension.
“These players exhibited decision-making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules,” Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes said in a statement, in part, at the time. “We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately.”
That removed Cephus from a Lions roster that won the NFC North title, won consecutive postseason games for the first time since 1957 and eventually lost to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game — falling short of a Super Bowl appearance with an offense carried by quarterback Jared Goff, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta.
Cephus will now join a Bills unit tasked with replacing the production of No. 1 wideout Stefon Diggs, traded earlier this month to the Texans in exchange for a second-round pick in 2025, and No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis, who signed with the Jaguars in free agency.
They drafted Florida State wideout Keon Coleman with pick No. 33 — after trading down in, and eventually out of, the first round — and expect him to start from Week 1, but Buffalo’s depth chart beyond Coleman includes Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Justin Shorter, Mack Hollins and KJ Hamler, among others.
The Bills also added Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to develop into a top target for Josh Allen.