After only selecting one wide receiver in the NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills signed another veteran wideout in Quintez Cepheus on Sunday.
The former Detroit Lions receiver comes to the Bills after three under years of lackluster production. This was further punctuated by a year long ban due to gambling violations per league rules. He has been reinstated and is looking to resume his career on a one-year deal with the Bills.
Part of Cephus’s lack of production has been due to injuries that have cost him considerable time over the last two seasons.
Below is Quintez Cephus’s publicly reported injury history and analysis.
Injury History
College
2017 Wisconsin
Head injury, vs Illinois, missed 0 games.
Cephus was listed on the injury report with a head injury ahead of the matchup against Indiana. It’s possible he suffered a concussion but cleared in time to play the following week.
Right leg fracture, vs Indiana, missed 5 games.
Cephus suffered a right leg fracture when his fellow teammate rolled into the back of his legs late in the third quarter. It was later confirmed to be a fracture that ended his season that required surgery. It wasn’t specified what he fractured, but based on the mechanism, there was a high likelihood that he suffered a broken fibula. He was able to return the following season.
NFL
2020 Detroit Lions
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Lions
Head injury, preseason, missed several practices.
Cephus suffered a head injury early in the preseason and missed several practices before returning. It was never confirmed a concussion but the phrasing has become interchangeable.
Left collarbone fracture, Week 5, missed 12 games.
Right before the end of the first half, Cephus caught a pass on the left side of the field and ran up before getting tackled out of bounds by two Vikings defenders. Looking at the film, he landed hard on his left shoulder m as he was driven into the ground and briefly was grabbing at his shoulder before getting carted off.
Further evaluation revealed a broken collarbone with resulting surgery, ending his season.
2022 Lions
Hip/leg injury, preseason, missed two weeks.
Cephus went up for an acrobatic catch against Jeff Okudah in practice and came down awkwardly. He required the assistance to get off the field and wound up missing two weeks of practice even after the good news avoided serious injury. Several sources indicated it was a leg injury while others mentioned a hip/back injury.
Left foot injury, Week 4, missed 13 games.
Cephus suffered yet another injury, this time to his left foot in the third quarter when he was blocked and appeared to fall over his foot backwards. After the game, he was forced to leave the stadium in a walking boot.
Following the game, he was placed on injured reserve until December when he was activated to return to practice. He went through his 21-day practice window before getting shut down for the season after not being ready.
Injury Analysis
Two broken bones, a pair of head injuries, and a smattering of other injuries have kept Quintez Cephus from making steady progress in his career. Looking at all the injuries, the broken leg and collarbone is unfortunate but not concerning from a long term standpoint.
His head injuries were not confirmed as concussions but notable if he has future head issues. The two injuries that there is not a lot of information on is the leg/hip/back injury and the foot injury. Considering he was out only two weeks for the leg suggests there may not be lingering concerns.
His foot injury did not appear to require surgery but never quite got back to normal during 2022. Whether this was a Jones fracture they attempted to heal conservatively or a Lisfranc sprain that didn’t respond to rest and rehab, it’s difficult to determine if there is a concern moving forward. Even if this was a Lisfranc sprain that did not require surgery, over 90 percent returned to play following the injury with a slight drop off in performance that was not statistically significant.
The biggest issue that Cephus has is returning to play after a year away from football. It’s not impossible for him to return to play, his workout was sufficient enough to warrant a contract. But knocking the rust off to make a 53 man roster or at the very least, a practice squad will still be a tough task.
Final Thoughts
A year away from football in some respects does help mitigate any lingering injury concerns. But knocking off the rust after a year from football may be the bigger challenge. Should he suffer any injury that keeps him out for a week or two could spell the end of his time in Buffalo.
If he can establish himself on special teams and as a depth wide receiver, he can make this roster. Otherwise, this may be an opportunity to get tape out there to go elsewhere.
I wish Quintez Cephus the best of luck this season and to stay healthy.
