The Buffalo Bills expect to get some players back, but the injury list hasn’t gotten shorter.
Safeties Cole Bishop (shoulder) and Mike Edwards (hamstring), along with linebacker Nicholas Morrow (groin), plan to participate during walkthroughs and individual drills this week, while the Bills also hope defensive end Casey Toohill (groin) returns later in the week. But there’s also a long list of players who are going to miss time.
Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (knee) will be out for multiple weeks, according to coach Sean McDermott. Meanwhile, tight end Quintin Morris (shoulder) is also expected to be out and is undergoing more evaluations.
It adds to a list that already included safety Damar Hamlin (hamstring) and receiver Curtis Samuel (turf toe), who are week-to-week. Defensive end Javon Solomon (calf) and defensive tackle Austin Johnson (calf) will be limited. McDermott said general manager Brandon Beane is looking into options for players who will be out for longer periods of time, but no decisions have been made.
“One of the challenges we have, both at safety and a linebacker, where there’s pivotal pieces that have not been able to rep,” McDermott said. “Whether it be completely from the spring and training camp, included, or in some cases a lot of the majority of training camp. So it’s a challenge; we’ll find our way through it. … Having a player hurt is one thing, but having a new player hurt who doesn’t know what we’re doing systematically is another challenge.”
One of the Bishop-Edwards-Hamlin trio is projected to start Week 1, but all of them now have missed periods of training camp. Luckily for the Bills, all of the other current injuries have come to depth players, many of whom are new to Buffalo’s systems.
“We’ve got to be solution-oriented,” McDermott said. “And as coaches, we’re going to try and get, like I said, those guys that can do the walkthrough or they’re going to do the walk through today and get some of those reps. That’s all we can do right now with some of those guys. And so it’s better than nothing.”
Because of all the injuries, McDermott has once again pivoted his plan for the starters in the preseason finale. McDermott planned to play quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Terrel Bernard against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Bills held out Bernard after Matt Milano’s injury occurred and Allen was pulled due to rain Saturday.
McDermott was also planning to give starters some snaps against the Carolina Panthers, but he says the starters will not play in an attempt to keep them healthy.
“The important thing for us is we have to use practice to continue to get ourselves sharp and sharpened for the season, because training campus is still not over, and nor is the preseason by any means,” McDermott said. “So that realization, that awareness for us as a team, for our players, for our staff, is critical right now.”