The first NFL appearance for former Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus after returning from suspension was brief. On May 16, the Buffalo Bills announced that Cephus would be released.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bills signed Cephus on April 28. His stint with the team lasted two and a half weeks.
While short, it was Cephus’ first appearance on an NFL roster since he was suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy. He was suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games, causing him to miss the whole 2023 season.
Cephus was suspended by the league in May 2023, along with fellow Lions players Stanley Berryhill, C.J. Moore, and Jameson Williams. Moore, like Cephus, received indefinite suspensions. Berryhill earned a six-game suspension.
The Lions have released all three players
Williams was also given a six-game suspension, which was reduced to four. Williams was not punished for the entire season since he did not gamble on NFL games.
Moore was re-signed by the Lions on May 7. But Cephus will start looking for a new employment
Buffalo Bills release WR Quintez Cephus.
Cephus joined Buffalo’s wide corps this offseason, along with veterans Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, KJ Hamler, and Chase Claypool. The Bills also drafted Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman and signed undrafted free agent Xavier Johnson Jr.
The Bills are looking to replace Stefon Diggs, whom they dealt to the Houston Texans, and Gabe Davis, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
But Cephus was the odd man out even before the official start of offseason exercises.
Cephus began his career as the Lions’ fifth-round choice in the 2020 NFL draft. In three seasons with Detroit, he made 37 receptions for 568 yards and four touchdowns.
His finest statistical season occurred in 2020, when he had 20 receptions for 349 yards. Cephus also scored two touchdowns in 2020.
The majority of his playing time came during his rookie season as well. Of his 22 games with the Lions, 13 were in 2020.
Approximately 60% of his snaps with Detroit occurred during his rookie season.
Cephus appeared in four games and played 51 offensive snaps during his final season in 2022. He also lined up for 36 special team snaps.
Could the Lions be interested in signing Cephus?
Detroit’s decision to give Moore another chance indicates that the Lions are unlikely to rule out a Cephus return. The Lions never truly replaced Josh Reynolds, who signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency this year. So there is a need at the receiver.
However, it does not appear likely that Cephus will sign a new deal in Detroit.
The Lions have not added another potential starting receiver, but they do have depth at the position. Detroit had ten receivers on its roster before the draft, and it then signed two highly regarded undrafted free agents, Isaiah Williams and Jalon Calhoun.
If the Lions sign another receiver before the regular season, it will most likely be for a starting spot. Cephus isn’t a receiver who fits that role, having started only six games in the last four years.
Cephus might appeal to an NFL team looking for a receiver with depth and potential as a special teams returner.
