Buffalo Bills sign former Penn football player Ryan O'Malley

Penn football might be having a bad week after its loss to Central Connecticut State this past Saturday, but things have been going much better for at least one Penn football grad. 

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills announced that former Penn football captain and tight end Ryan O’Malley had been signed to the team’s practice squad. The announcement comes just one day after Bills tight end Charles Clay underwent left knee surgery, which is expected to keep Clay sidelined for multiple weeks.

Buffalo will be O’Malley’s second stop in the NFL. After graduating Penn in 2016, O’Malley signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent. O’Malley started on the Raiders’ practice squad before being moved up to the active squad in early October of 2016. 

O’Malley made his professional debut against the San Diego Chargers on October 9, 2016, before re-signing with the practice squad several weeks later. O’Malley continued to practice with the Raiders during this past offseason, but Oakland waived him on September 2.

At Penn, O’Malley was named second-team All-Ivy as a junior in 2014. In his senior season, O’Malley served as a captain for the football team and was selected as second-team All-Ivy once again. In total, O’Malley recorded 43 receptions and nine touchdowns in his 40 career games for the Red and Blue.

This news comes less than two weeks after former Penn quarterback Alek Torgersen was released by the Washington Redskins’ practice squad. Another Penn football alum, Brandon Copeland, started the 2017 preseason on the Detroit Lions’ roster, but will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a torn pectoral muscle.