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HC Sean McDermott Cuts Bills Rookie From 53-Man Roster After Missing Post-Game Film Session

Wande Owens has leadership skills Bills are looking for

Buffalo, NY – August 2025

Discipline doesn’t take days off. One morning after the preseason finale, while the rest of the Buffalo Bills filed into the darkened film room at One Bills Drive for “corrections day,” one chair sat empty. By afternoon, that absence had a cost: rookie safety Wande Owens was waived from the 53-man roster.

The decision was swift, the message sharper. Head coach Sean McDermott didn’t hesitate to draw a line in the turf:

“If you can’t show up for your teammates in the film room the next morning, then what you did on the field doesn’t mean much. Here, discipline comes first — if you don’t respect the process, you don’t play for the Buffalo Bills.”

For coaches and players alike, that film session isn’t optional. It’s the day when mistakes are confronted, corrections are hammered home, and trust is weighed before the final roster deadline. To miss it — no matter the excuse — isn’t just an oversight, it’s a crack in the foundation of professionalism.

Owens, humbled, issued his explanation:
“I grew up dreaming of wearing blue and red, believing I belonged here. I missed the film session because of a post-game travel issue — that’s on me. I’ve apologized to the coaches and my teammates. I just hope for one more chance to compete, even if it’s through the practice squad.”

Now the rookie waits. Waived from the 53, Owens could circle back onto the practice squad if he clears waivers. But at this stage, roster math is unforgiving: special teams reliability, secondary depth, and the discipline of week-to-week preparation weigh heavier than any single highlight from August.

For the Bills, the cultural message is clear. Training camp brilliance and preseason flashes may grab headlines, but in Buffalo, accountability is the true currency. McDermott’s move wasn’t just about one rookie. It was about reminding every player in blue and red that in this locker room, discipline isn’t negotiable.

Packers Rookie Cut Before Season Retires to Join Military Service
The NFL is often described as the pinnacle of athletic dreams, but for one Green Bay rookie, the path to greatness has taken a turn away from the gridiron and toward a higher calling. After signing as an undrafted free agent in May, the young cornerback fought through training camp and preseason battles, hoping to carve out a roster spot on a Packers team recalibrating its depth and identity in the secondary. That player is Tyron Herring, a Delaware (via Dartmouth) standout known as a true outside corner with length, competitive toughness, and special-teams upside. Listed at 6’1”, 201 pounds with verified long speed, Herring built a reputation as a press-capable defender who thrives along the boundary.  Waived in late August, Herring stunned teammates and fans by announcing his retirement from professional football and his decision to enlist in the U.S. military, trading a Packers jersey for a soldier’s uniform. “I lived my NFL dream in Green Bay, but being cut before the season opened another path,” Herring said in a statement. “This isn’t the end — it’s a higher calling. Now, I choose to serve my country with the same heart I gave the Packers.” Prototypical on paper for Green Bay’s boundary profile and steady on tape throughout August, Herring nevertheless faced heavy competition in a crowded cornerback room. The numbers game won out as the Packers finalized their 53 and practice squad. For the Packers, the move closes the chapter on a developmental project with intriguing tools. For Herring, it begins a profound new journey that echoes his “hidden gem” label — a player who consistently rose above expectations and now seeks to do so in service to something bigger than the game. Fans across Wisconsin and the college football community saluted the decision on social media, calling it “the ultimate sacrifice” and “proof that heart is bigger than the game.” Herring leaves the NFL, but his next mission may prove even greater.