Tanner Gentry signs with CFL’s Toronto Argonauts

Tanner Gentry, who has spent the past year and a half as part of the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, just signed a contract to play in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts.

On February 21, Gentry tweeted “New chapter” with a retweet of the Argonauts’ announcement of his signing.

The wide receiver, who has been touted as quarterback Josh Allen’s best friend since the two played together at the University of Wyoming, joined the Bills in January 2021. This past season, Gentry was called up to the active roster twice, but after John Brown and Cole Beasley re-joined the team, he saw his role reduced back to that of a practice squad player.

Active for three games (Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and then Weeks 11-12 against the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions, respectively), Gentry didn’t record a single catch in a game during his time with the Bills.

Prior to playing in Buffalo, the wide receiver spent 2017 with the Chicago Bears, where he appeared in four games and recorded three receptions.

Gentry spent the past year being released and re-signed as the Bills made room for roster needs, with the most recent cut coming on January 17 of this year. There was no reason to assume that the wide receiver wouldn’t find himself back on the Bills’ practice squad this summer, but at 28 years old, his chances of being on an active roster full time weren’t looking likely. With the CFL, it’s assumed he will have a more likely chance of being active on game days.

It is thought that Gentry was a key part of Allen’s moral support with the team over the past two years, and the wide receiver has gone on record that Allen was a key part of him landing a job in Buffalo at all.

“I know Josh had a little bit to do with it,” Gentry said via Buffalo Fanatics. “The fact that they brought me on and gave me a chance to even get in the door and show what I can do, it means the world to me.”