BUFFALO, N.Y. — Injuries are already piling up for the Bills in Orchard Park this week as the regular season opener is now just three weeks away.
"It’s a real concern," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. "If I could change it, I would, but we can’t, so we won’t.”
After the news of linebacker Matt Milano’s bicep tear late last week, the Bills currently have a total of 15 different players on the team's injury report in some capacity. The full report of injured players is listed below.
- LB Matt Milano (Bicep)
- S Mike Edwards (Hamstring)
- S Cole Bishop (Shoulder)
- S Damar Hamlin (Hamstring)
- QB Mitch Trubisky (Knee)
- WR Curtis Samuel (Toe)
- WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Neck)
- WR Lawrence Keys III
- TE Quintin Morris (Shoulder)
- EDGE Javon Solomon (Calf)
- EDGE Casey Toohill (Groin)
- LB Baylon Spector (Calf)
- LB Nicholas Morrow (Core/Groin)
- DT Austin Johnson (Calf)
- OL Travis Clayton (Shoulder)
That list now includes wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling who left the Bills' second preseason game with a neck injury and backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky who suffered a knee injury. These injuries over the weekend have now put both players on a week-to-week basis.
“When they’re week-to-week it becomes a concern," McDermott said. "Now some are more of a concern at this point than others, but yeah, you do get concerned. Not only that they’re back on time, but that they get the necessary practice time to get up to speed on again, what we're doing, the detail of what we’re doing. So having them back is one thing in a uniform, but are they able to get the practice reps they need leading up to the game. That’s critical.”
After releasing the new list of injuries over Zoom on Monday, McDermott also announced that he has already decided to sit the starters in the team’s final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. He added that it is what's best for the team right now and it will give some of the younger players another chance to shine.
“Initially the plan was to play the 1s this week," McDermott said. "Because of the injuries and the lack of availability, we're going to take the 1s out, play the other guys, take a good look at them. It should be a good opportunity for them to put their best foot forward and for us to have a strong evaluation of that part of the roster.”
The only player that was not going to play this weekend regardless of injury was QB1 Josh Allen.
The Bills get back to practice this week ahead of Saturday's preseason finale at Highmark Stadium against the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m.