You remember the 2016 season? The Bills were in that weird, gritty transition phase. They needed a spark. They needed someone who could flip the field when the offense was stalling. Enter Brandon Tate.
Honestly, some people forget just how much of a "glue guy" he was for that roster. When the Buffalo Bills snatched him up in September 2016, right after the Bengals let him go, it wasn't a move that dominated the headlines. It was a calculated, veteran addition. Tate wasn't there to be the next Sammy Watkins. He was there to be the guy who didn't muff punts and occasionally made a gunner look silly.
He brought stability to a special teams unit that desperately needed it.
The Brandon Tate Buffalo Bills Era: More Than Just Stats
Most fans look at a wide receiver's stats and see eight catches for 117 yards in a season and think, "Whatever." But with Brandon Tate Buffalo Bills fans saw the value in the hidden yardage. In 2016, he averaged 11.6 yards per punt return. That’s top-tier stuff. He wasn't just catching the ball; he was giving Tyrod Taylor a shorter field to work with.
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It’s easy to overlook a guy who only has 10 career touchdowns over a decade. But if you were watching those games at New Era Field, you saw the elusiveness. Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman used to rave about his "short-area elusiveness." Basically, Tate had this weird way of slipping through a gap that didn't look like it existed. He played bigger than his 6'1" frame, running with the north-south violence of a backup running back.
The 2017 Re-signing and Veteran Leadership
Buffalo liked what they saw enough to bring him back on a one-year deal in March 2017. At that point, Tate was nearly 30. In NFL years, especially for a returner, that's getting up there. Yet, he remained productive. He caught a touchdown pass that year—his only one in a Bills uniform—and continued to handle the dirty work on special teams.
The league was changing. The rules for kickoffs were starting to shift, making the "pure" returner a dying breed. Tate was one of the last of a certain kind of specialist. He didn't complain about a lack of targets. He just showed up, caught the punt in a swirling Buffalo wind, and got ten yards. Every. Single. Time.
Why the Brandon Tate Buffalo Bills Legacy Resonates Today
You might wonder why we’re even talking about a guy who hasn't played for the Bills in years. It’s because the Bills are currently looking for that exact same profile in the 2026 landscape. We see mock drafts connecting the Bills to names like Carnell Tate out of Ohio State. Different player, same name, similar need for reliable hands.
Brandon Tate was the ultimate professional. He left Cincinnati as their all-time leader in punt return yards and brought that "pro's pro" attitude to Western New York.
- Reliability: He was rarely on the injury report.
- Versatility: He could fill in at WR when the depth chart got decimated by injuries.
- Special Teams IQ: He knew when to fair catch and when to risk it.
That 2016-2017 window was a bridge to the Sean McDermott era. Tate was one of those guys who helped set a floor for the roster. He wasn't the ceiling—Josh Allen hadn't even been drafted yet—but he kept the floor from falling out.
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What We Can Learn From Tate's Tenure
If you're a scout or a die-hard fan looking at the current roster, you're looking for the "Tate Effect." You want the guy who makes the boring plays look easy. The NFL is full of stars, but it’s won by the guys who don’t make mistakes on 4th and 5.
Tate's career ended after a brief stint with the Saints in 2018, but his impact in Buffalo remains a blueprint for how to use a roster spot effectively. He earned over $7 million in his career not by being a superstar, but by being indispensable in the third phase of the game.
Moving Forward: Applying the Tate Blueprint
When evaluating the current Buffalo Bills depth chart, don't just look at the 40-yard dash times. Look for the Brandon Tate qualities.
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- Check the catch rate on punts. A muffed punt is a 40-yard penalty in disguise.
- Look for "hidden" yardage. Players who consistently get 8-10 yards on returns are more valuable than home-run hitters who lose yardage half the time.
- Value the "filling in" ability. A returner who can actually run a route and catch a slant on 3rd down is worth two roster spots.
If the Bills do end up drafting a receiver like Carnell Tate in the upcoming 2026 cycle, they'll be hoping for a higher ceiling, sure. But if that kid has half the professional discipline that Brandon Tate showed during his time in Buffalo, the special teams room will be in good hands.
Focus on the specialists who minimize risk. In a league where games are decided by three points, the guy who secures the ball is king.