The Buffalo Bills are enjoying a ‘mini-bye’ after playing two games in five days, giving them a brief break before their Week 3 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, this 11-day span won’t be enough for all their starters to return to the field.
Ahead of Wednesday’s practice, head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that linebacker Terrel Bernard and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson will both miss Monday night’s game at Highmark Stadium. Johnson, who sustained a forearm injury just minutes into the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, has been sidelined for all but seven plays this season.
While the exact nature of his injury hasn’t been disclosed, there are speculations of a fracture. The positive news is that the Bills have not placed him on Injured Reserve (IR), indicating hope for his return by Halloween.
Bernard’s early exit in Week 2 was concerning, especially with linebacker Matt Milano already on IR due to a pectoral injury suffered while tackling. Baylon Spector stepped up in Bernard’s absence, recording 10 tackles, six of them solo.
Fortunately, it was reported that Bernard’s injury is a strain rather than a tear, which should allow for a recovery period of weeks instead of months. Like Johnson, Bernard has not been placed on IR, and McDermott stated he had no updates regarding that decision as of Wednesday.
The rest of the Buffalo roster participated in Wednesday’s practice, including defensive end Dawuane Smoot, who has missed the last two weeks due to a toe injury, and rookie defensive end Javon Solomon, who has also been sidelined with an oblique injury for the past two weeks.
