Buffalo Rumblings
As a Buffalo Bills fan living in the Hudson Valley, there aren’t many connections to my “home” as it relates to the team I love. When I was a kid, I would often use my imported NCAA Football draft class rosters in my Madden franchises to create that connection, since I always took the Army Black Knights to prominence and I wanted to give my recruits a chance to continue their career in the NFL.
Well, I might not have ended up a Division I football coach, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t watch some former Black Knights prosper in the NFL. And, making things better, there’s one who’s looking to catch on with my Bills. 16-year old me would be excited.
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss a Hard Knocks breakout star looking to make the team in 2026.
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Name: Jimmy Ciarlo
Number: 35
Position: ILB
Height/Weight: 6’2” 230 lbs.
Age: 25 (26 on 2/28/2027)
Experience/Draft: 2; signed as undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2024 following mandatory one-year commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces (served in the Infantry Branch of the U.S. Army following his 2023 graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point)
College: Army
Acquired: Signed reserve/futures contract on 1/19/2026
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Ciarlo signed a two-year deal worth $1,938,500 overall. For the 2026 NFL seaosn, he carries a cap hit of $886,750 if he makes the 53-man roster. Buffalo would carry a dead cap charge of $3,500 if he’s released, which is the equivalent of the signing bonus Ciarlo received.
2025 Recap: Ciarlo was without a team for the vast majority of the offseason, but he signed with Buffalo on August 6. He appeared in the team’s final two preseason games, logging four tackles in each contest. He was released as part of Buffalo’s final cuts, but he signed with the team’s practice squad. Buffalo signed Ciarlo to the active roster from the practice squad prior to their Week Five Sunday night loss to the New England Patriots. He played 13 snaps on special teams in that game but did not make a tackle. The Bills released Ciarlo on October 14 before re-signing him to the practice squad. Buffalo released him from the practice squad on November 4, and he signed to the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad on November 25. He did not appear in a game with the Dolphins and was not offered a reserve/futures contract at the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season. The Bills inked Ciarlo to a reserve/futures deal after their season ended with a 33-30 overtime defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos.
Positional outlook: Ciarlo is one of seven players listed at inside linebacker on the current roster. The others are Keonta Jenkins, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, Theron Gaines, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. An eighth player, Kaleb Elams-Orr, is listed at linebacker but expected to play ILB in Buffalo’s defense.
2026 Offseason: Ciarlo is...
