The debut of the brand-new Buffalo Bills is fast approaching on Saturday afternoon. The Bills will unveil a new head coach, a new defense, a new defensive coordinator and a $2 billion new stadium in a game setting when they take on the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium.
However, since head coach Joe Brady has been in Buffalo before, and the stadium got its curtain-opening night for the Return of the Blue & Red practice last weekend, the new-look defense might be the most intriguing part of the game. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has put together plenty of different looks for the Bills’ new 3-4 defense through two weeks of training camp.
The Bills have been mixing and matching across all three levels of the defense to see what sticks. But on Saturday, Leonhard and the fanbase will finally get to see it live against someone other than their teammates.
“Anytime you get against different competition, things change,” Leonhard said Tuesday. “I am excited just to continue to push. We’ve only had so many days in pads, right? We’ve only had so many days where extended physical, you know, stress on these guys — whether it’s the play number or just the physicality of it. We’re going to continue to grow through this preseason.”
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When asked about the idea of healthy defensive starters playing, Leonhard didn’t come right out and say it was happening, but he did push it in that direction.
“I think the plan is for guys to play and get a taste of the scheme live. Let’s go finish,” the defensive coordinator said. “As far as I’m concerned, guys are going to go play, to be determined a little bit on how much, but it’s going to be exciting for guys to get out there and just kind of let it rip.”
As the Bills get closer to that first taste of game action in a new defense, their players went through their first pair of practices at Orchard Park.
Here’s what stood out.
Positive T.J. Sanders developments
While plenty of defensive players have been getting the attention this summer through the new scheme, one relatively high-draft investment has slipped through the cracks a bit. Second-year defensive lineman T.J. Sanders has a potentially big role on the way despite limited action as a rookie, and the question is how he’ll respond to that enhanced opportunity. When asked about what they’ve seen and what they’d like to see more of, Leonhard was quick to point out how much they’ve put on Sanders’ plate.
“We’re asking him to play multiple roles,” Leonhard said. “We’re not just limiting him to one spot. So he’s moving to different areas of that defensive line, whether it’s our base package and our nickel package. So he is probably one of the guys who’s done the most and playing at a high level.”
Some of Sanders’ experience during his rookie season likely contributed to that versatility, as he played inside at defensive tackle and outside at defensive end when the Bills were dealing with numerous injuries in 2025. It’s unlikely that Sanders, at his weight (297 pounds), will play much nose tackle for the Bills, but lining up both on the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle and on the outside on other snaps gives him some different avenues to help bring him along as a pass rusher in game settings, which is what the Bills drafted him to do in the first place.
Leonhard also said Sanders has had to undergo the challenge of getting moved around more than his other defensive line teammates, so from a volume standpoint, he hasn’t had quite as many reps in one spot as some others. But more encouragingly, Leonhard also brought up the part of Sanders’ game that needed refinement.
“The physicality is improving,” Leonhard said. “What I’m seeing, like, he is committed to trying to be the physical player when he needs to be. Everybody knows he has some pass-rush ability and ability to get to the quarterback. And he’s flashed both. And again, now it’s just creating consistency.”
On the Bills’ first unofficial depth chart of the summer, Sanders was listed as one of their three starting defensive linemen in base formation. That is mostly consistent with how things have gone through camp and Sanders getting first-team time, so it seems as though the Bills are hoping for a big jump in Year 2 from their 2025 second-round pick.
Hairston ramps up
The Bills have been without presumed starting No. 2 cornerback Maxwell Hairston for several practices, as he has missed time with an undisclosed injury. Throughout his time away, Hairston has been extremely visible during practices, often jogging up to celebrate with his cornerback teammates whenever they made a play against the opposition. That gave the sense that whatever he had been dealing with was never really a long-term concern. Those sentiments were backed up on Tuesday by Hairston being the first of the currently injured players to begin ramping up during practice.
After the Bills went into positional drills, Hairston emerged and went over to the side with some members of the strength and conditioning staff to begin some movement drills. Hairston was dressed in helmet and jersey, which is as good a sign as any.
Bills CB Maxwell Hairston starting to do some work along the side with athletic trainers. Ramping up, it appears. pic.twitter.com/rVrNpW8A86
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) August 11, 2026
Some of the drills focused on Hairston pushing off with his legs, which makes it most likely that he was dealing with a lower-body injury of some kind. At one point, Leonhard came over to check on Hairston before he got into the drills. Regardless, Hairston’s improvement is a big development for the Bills, who have some real questions with their cornerback depth as it stands. Even with rookie second-round pick Davison Igbinosun getting some more time working against the Bills’ top receivers, as it stands today, Hairston is fully expected to be the starter opposite No. 1 cornerback Christian Benford.
McGovern, Bishop and other starters continue to sit
The Bills injury list had quite a handful of names with substantial roles on Tuesday. Along with the improving Hairston, the Bills were without starting center Connor McGovern, starting safeties Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, third-down running back Ty Johnson and rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell. McGovern, Bishop, Johnson and Bell all haven’t been on the field since the team practiced inside the stadium on Saturday night, while Gardner-Johnson suffered an injury during Monday’s practice.
The Bills have not issued any update or timetable for any players to date, with Brady due to speak with reporters on Thursday morning.
McGovern’s injury looked like he was grabbing at his leg, though anything beyond that would be speculation. McGovern was not seen on the practice field during either of the last two practices. Teams are generally cautious with returning some of their bigger role players too early during the summer months, as there isn’t a game that counts for them until Sept. 13. In the meantime, expect to see plenty of backup center Lloyd Cushenberry III and backup safeties Geno Stone and Damar Hamlin.
The Bills also were without two of their more impressive undrafted rookies this summer, as cornerback Kani Walker and wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin did not participate on Tuesday.
Fullback battle shifts
With Reggie Gilliam’s departure via free agency this offseason, it opened up a job for someone new to take over the primary fullback role within the Bills’ offense. The team elected to bring on a competition between a low-cost veteran on a one-year deal against an undrafted rookie free agent. That veteran was Ben VanSumeren, whose 2025 season ended abruptly in Week 1 with a torn patellar tendon. Through the early stages of camp, whenever the Bills worked a fullback into the first-team looks of 11-on-11, VanSumeren was the one taking the reps.
Over the last two practices, that has changed, as rookie Jackson Acker — an athletic prospect out of Wisconsin — began working in with Josh Allen and company. While it doesn’t mean the competition is over, it is notable that Acker has had increased opportunities since the team shifted back to Orchard Park.
Acker does have the advantage of being on a low-cost three-year deal with minimal guarantees, which means if he continues to play well, the Bills could have their fullback answer for multiple years rather than just one. That was the exact formula they used with Gilliam too, mind you.
#Puntapalooza might be nearing an end
As the Bills resumed practice Tuesday, veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky got back on the field after missing a few practices with an injury. It was also his first time since last week that he had both some punt attempts and held some field goal attempts for kicker Tyler Bass. Wishnowsky improved as the session went on, but he started slowly with some low-liner punts. That, combined with rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr. continuing to show more and more consistency with hang time, directionality and distance, makes me think the 2026 #Puntapalooza is coming close to a decision. The cherry on top was how effectively Doman operated as the field goal holder for Bass during Saturday night’s practice.
Doman was always in the driver’s seat, given that they invested a pick in him and he’s on a cost-controlled four-year deal, but he had to show he was ready for the opportunity — and he has to this point. The Bills may not want to put a halt to the competition before they see Doman punt and hold in a game or two, but right now, it seems pretty clear where this competition is headed.