Sometimes in the NFL players' careers go full circle. They start in one place and subsequently sign with or get traded to multiple different teams, and subsequently end up back on their original team years later.
And sometimes these reunions happen after less than a week. Such an event occurred on Monday after the Buffalo Bills announced that linebacker Otis Reese IV had been re-signed after the team originally cut him on Aug. 14.
"Signed LB Otis Reese IV and released FB Jackson Acker." The official Buffalo Bills' PR page posted on X on Monday.
Fullback and rookie undrafted free agent Jackson Acker was waived by the team in the corresponding move.
Although in this case Reese is not reuniting with his original team; that would be the Tennessee Titans , who originally signed him as a UDFA back in 2023; the analogy is still relevant.
Despite having the odds stacked against him as an undrafted rookie, Reese managed to carve out a role for himself on special teams for the Titans, and even managed to become one of the primary backups at linebacker.
He started five games over the course of his two seasons in Tennessee, making 38 total tackles, 1 interception and 1 tackle-for-loss. After failing to pass final cuts for the 2025 season in Tennessee, Reese signed with the Bills practice squad, but was released in October and was signed to the Patriots ' practice squad.
Reese spent the majority of the offseason in New England before being given his marching order on July 31, at which point the Bills swooped in a week later to sign him on Aug. 6. Whilst Reese was subsequently cut just 8 days later on Friday Aug. 14, just 3 days later on Monday, the 28-year old is back in Buffalo.
The Bills added to their linebacking corps this offseason with rookie fourth round pick Kaleb Elams-Orr, who will vie for the lead replacement spot behind former third round picks Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard , the latter of whom signed a 4-year, $42 million extension with the team back in March 2025.
Reese could help infuse some energy into what was just a middle-of-the-road special teams unit in 2025. But realistically his path to a roster spot is hardly routine.
He will likely have to overtake one or both of former undrafted free agents Joe Andreesen and Keonta Jenkins at inside linebacker, and will face further competition from Jimmy Ciarlo and UDFA rookie Theron Gaines for the fourth and possibly final ILB position on the depth chart.
Reese's prospects may also be undermined by the potential, hypothetical â albeit not rumored at this point â return of former All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano , who was not re-signed this past offseason.
Although he is no longer at his league-leading best, Milano has shown himself to be a starting-level player when healthy; something that the Boston College product has struggled with over the course of his career.
At 32, there is still quite possibly some gas left in the tank, and if the Bills feel unsatisfied with their options at the heart of their defense, expect them to give their former team captain a call.
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