Buffalo Bills fans got their first look at UConn alum Skyler Bell on Thursday, and what they saw undoubtedly impressed them.

Back from a groin injury that kept him out of the Bills’ first two preseason games, the former Huskies All-America wide receiver made his debut in Buffalo’s 28-27 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason finale.

Bell scored his first professional touchdown in the third quarter. Trailing 21-10 and on a first-and-10 play at the Pittsburgh 40, backup quarterback Shane Buechele found Bell for a 12-yard gain.

On the next play and with Bell in motion, he took the handoff from Buechele, swept right and ran into the end zone for a 28-yard rushing touchdown at the 4:49 mark of the third.

The moment is what the fans – and Bell – had been waiting for.

The Bills’ fourth-round pick in the NFL draft in April, Bell missed the first two preseason games with a groin injury.

He returned to practice on Monday and told reporters just how excited he was to be back. He had not missed a game due to injury since high school in 2021, so the inactivity left him antsy to get back on the field and work with 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen.

"Just glad to be back out here, finally back playing some football, man. Excited. It was tough," he said. "Obviously you want to be out there playing with your brothers, but I just tell myself to take it day by day. You can't do nothing if you're not healthy. So I think just staying in the moment, taking it one day at a time.

"Just be where I need to be for Josh so I can help this offense be explosive."

Bell led the Bills on Thursday with seven catches for 49 yards. Buechele targeted him 10 times.

Bell had just the one rushing attempt.

The Bills open the season on Sept. 13 against the Texans in Houston. For UConn-area fans who would like to watch Bell in person, provided he is on the active roster, Buffalo will meet AFC East rival New England on Dec. 6 in Foxborough, Mass.

Bell played his high school football at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn. He was ranked by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, the No. 124 wide receiver in the 2021 high school class.

He chose Wisconsin and was a redshirt in 2021 before playing the following two seasons for the Badgers. When he entered the transfer portal, UConn was the place for him.

By 2025, he had evolved into one of the top receivers in the nation.

In his first season with the Huskies in 2024, Bell posted 860 receiving yards and five touchdowns. In his 13 games played, he had four 100-yard performances.

In 2025, Bell caught 101 passes (third in FBS) from quarterback Joe Fagnano for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, both second in the FBS. He reached the 100-yard mark in seven games, including an eight-catch, 149-yard day with three touchdowns on Nov. 1 in a 38-19 win against UAB.