There are still two weeks before the 2025 NFL Season opens, and the Buffalo Bills have already listed 28 different injuries. Sure, some of them are probably nothing to worry about, but there are some that are concerning. And the trend — the Bills getting banged up and missing key players — continues.

While a new strength & conditioning coach is in place, which had some of us thinking maybe new programs would be in place to get guys stronger and more resilient, that appears not to be the case. Here’s a look at what injuries Buffalo’s training staff has managed over the past month.

Advertisement

_____________________________________________________________________________

Roster lock (or likely) players

C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

Tyler Bass, who’s been sidelined with what the team listed as pelvic soreness since late July, should be returning this week. The Bills released rookie kicker Caden Davis who they signed to play the first two preseason games, and it’s highly unlikely that running-back-turned-emergency-kicker Ray Davis is their plan for the future (despite his insistence that he can hit field goals from 40-plus yards).

Alec Anderson had a scope on his knee unrelated to anything that took place in training camp. Khalil Shakir has a high ankle sprain, but is expected to be ready to go Week 1. Connor McGovern tweaked a hamstring last Friday, but said he could have played on Saturday if it was a regular-season game. Javon Solomon developed a wrist injury on Wednesday, August 20. Tylan Grable was in concussion protocol, and Taylor Rapp has already returned to practice after missing some work earlier in August.

Advertisement

The only real concerns here — and they are big concerns – are Curtis Samuel, Cole Bishop, Max Hairston, and Dalton Kincaid. Samuel spent much of last season struggling to return from a preseason toe injury. Now again this season, he hasn’t had a productive or healthy training camp. Bishop missed last preseason with a collarbone injury. This year it’s his quad. In fact, McDermott made mention about his lack of availability in a recent press conference, and on Wednesday, defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said that he was “seeing progress, maybe delayed progress” in regard to Bishop’s development as a safety.  
 
First-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston suffered a right knee LCL sprain on July 29. The rookie cornerback escaped what, at first, appeared to be a season-ending ACL injury during a non-contact, tackling dummy drill. Hairston has been spotted walking without the aid of crutches anymore and riding the stationary bike on the sideline at practice (albeit with a large brace on his right leg). McDermott has been non-committal in response to any type of timeline for the rookie’s return.

Then there’s Dalton Kincaid. The third-year tight end was the victim of a Rapp hit during Wednesday’s practice. No specifics were given, but Kincaid stayed down on the field a little too long. While it was reported he eventually was able to walk to the sideline, that’s where he stayed. He could be fine. But he also could be banged up. Last year, Kincaid was sidelined with a knee injury, and he has yet to make the impact as a target for Josh Allen in the way many were expecting. If Kincaid misses time, or plays through another injury, he may find himself mired in the “less than expected” category of general manager Brandon Beane’s draft picks.

Players still trying to find their spot

Grant DuBose was on the roster for a whole two days before picking up a shoulder/collarbone injury. The wide receiver hasn’t been released as of writing, but McDermott noted Thursday morning that surgery is likely coming.

Advertisement

Edefuan Ulofoshio was one of several names McDermott rattled off after Tuesday’s practice as having a new injury. The 2024 fifth-round draft pick has an injured toe. Not great news for a guy who was only active for four games his rookie season and is in a room with depth the likes of Dorian Williams, “Buffalo Joe” Andreessen, and Shaq Thompson.

Players on Injured Reserve (IR)

Evans was placed on IR August 15 after suffering a hamstring injury. For Evans it’s the second straight year he hasn’t been able to make it through the preseason with the Bills. In 2024, Buffalo placed the running back on IR but designated him to return. In October, when he was healthy, the Bills released him and Evans signed with the Chicago Bears. Now, in his sixth season in the NFL, Evans will once again try to overcome an injury to hopefully play regular-season football in Buffalo.

Players already waived with injury designations

WR Kaden Prather (cleared waivers on 8/21; reverts to Bills, sent to IR)

Advertisement

While Armani Rogers never made it to training camp, having been released with a non-football injury back in April, and Jarveon Howard was only on the roster for 24 hours before being waived with an injury, Baylon Spector was released with an injury settlement.

Spector suffered a calf injury last year that had him struggling to stay in the game. After four weeks on IR, he — in an uncharacteristically McDermott move — was activated to the game-day roster the same week he was taken off IR. The result? A return to IR two weeks later.

Did the Bills activate him too soon in 2024? Possibly. Will Spector return to Buffalo at a future date? Probably. When he was released with an injury settlement, it opened the door for the Bills to bring him back once his settlement period (plus six weeks) expires. McDermott and Company seem to like the 2022 seventh-round draft pick.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Advertisement

Why all the injuries? Is it because head coach Sean McDermott inspires guys to play bigger than they are (insert classic Taron Johnson here)? Is it because they want it “too much” and are trying “too hard” to make the team/win the big one/earn a bonus? Is it because the team focuses a lot on health — both physical and mental — and players are in tune with how they feel? Is it because guys are “soft” as some fans would like to claim?

Regardless of the reason, there are definitely some roster concerns, some bigger questions that still need to be answered, and some names that need to be watched over the next two weeks.