WR Marcell Ateman signs one-year deal with Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills added a player to their wide receiver room on Thursday, swapping Braydon Johnson for Marcell Ateman. The team hosted Ateman on a workout yesterday afternoon, and quickly signed the multi-league veteran to the 90-man roster. Ateman’s name may be familiar to football fans, given his prior experience at the pro level with several teams.

While the 28-year-old Ateman comes to the Bills by way of the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks, he does bring three years of NFL experience with him. The 6’4” free agent out of Oklahoma State began his career with the Oakland Raiders where he recorded 20 receptions for 270 yards between 2018-2021. Ateman has a single touchdown — a 9-yard reception from quarterback Derek Carr — that he scored in the fourth quarter of a game against the Kansas City Chiefs back in December 2018.

Ateman signed with the Arizona Cardinals prior to the 2022 season but failed to make the opening day roster, being released before the start of the season. After not playing last fall, the wide receiver — who also missed a season of college football back in 2016 when he suffered a broken foot during non-contact summer drills — found himself in St. Louis for the XFL’s 2023 spring season.

Ateman’s 19 catches for 259 yards during the XFL’s ten-game season were enough to catch the eye of Buffalo scouts. The Bills signed the wide receiver to a one-year deal, releasing Braydon Johnson to make room on the at-capacity 90-man roster.