They have a knack for coming in bunches, and that’s just what happened to the Buffalo Bills after one week of training camp practices at St. John Fisher University.
Prior to Monday’s padded session, Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott rattled off names of 11 injured players unable to participate in Practice No. 5. Once the pads began popping, utility offensive lineman Alec Anderson and rookie defensive tackle TJ Sanders went off with injuries. The latter, however, did return later during the practice.
The names mentioned by McDermott are as follows — interior offensive lineman Sed Van Pran-Granger, starting right tackle Spencer Brown, veteran wide receiver Curtis Samuel, starting linebacker Terrell Bernard, wide receiver Elijah Moore, primary backup linebacker Dorian Williams, seventh-round rookie wide receiver Kaden Prather, third-year tight end Dalton Kincaid, wide receiver Tyrell Shavers, primary tight end Dawson Knox and kicker Tyler Bass.
“It’s not ideal, right? Especially with the names that are on there,” said McDermott. “So, you’re trying to move the team forward and develop, but it also allows an opportunity for us to see somebody step in and do the job. So that’s just the nature of having the injuries that we do.”
Van Pran-Granger and Brown remain on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. The latter experienced a back flare-up, and the Bills seem content with easing him along.
Samuel and Bernard both sat out Sunday’s practice due to aggravated hamstrings while Moore was limited due to general soreness. Williams has been out since leaving Thursday’s practice early, and he’s been subsequently spotted in a walking boot, which suggests he could be on the shelf for a couple weeks.
The Bills lost two wide receivers on Sunday. Prather limped off with what the team has called a hamstring injury. In a scary moment, Shavers, unable to put any pressure on his leg, was carted off the field. It appears, however, that he dodged a disastrous outcome.
“Tyrell with his ankle,” said McDermott. “Doesn’t seem to be serious, so we look like we’re in decent shape there.”
The most worrisome new injury has to be Kincaid’s knee issue, considering it’s the same leg that plagued him in 2024.
“Dalton with knee soreness after yesterday’s practice,” said McDermott.
The Bills were without their top two tight ends in team drills on Monday as Knox, who has been nursing a hamstring, was not yet ready for contact. Buffalo removed him from the non-football injury list on Sunday, but likely didn’t want to throw him right into the middle of the summer’s first padded practice.
With Bass being the lone kicker on the 90-man roster, it’s never good to hear that he’s battling injury.
“T. Bass has a little bit of pelvis area soreness, so we’re dealing with that. He may or may not be out there, we’ll see,” said McDermott.
On Sunday, Bass struggled kicking through a rain shower, missing 4 of 8 attempts. He was not spotted on the main field during Monday’s session.
