Week one of training camp is in the books as the Buffalo Bills finished their third consecutive practice on Friday. Due to the NFL CBA’s rules, the players are still ramping up their level of activity which means they have several more practices before they can put the pads on.
Before kicking off Wednesday’s practice, the Bills did not have to place anyone on the PUP or NFI list, the first time since 2019 that no one started camp on either list. The team still has to slowly ramp up players returning from injury, but full participation allows everyone to keep on the same page.
Below are the injury notes and analysis coming out of the first week of training camp. The Bills return to practice on Sunday.
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Injury Updates
LB Matt Milano (Right Tibial Plateau)
It’s excellent that Milano avoided PUP but he is proving the Bills training staff correct in how he looks out there after three days of practice. He is doing a lot of things correctly but there are several notable but expected deficits at this time. Milano is still exhibiting decreased power output coming off his right leg and deceleration issues. He also has been observed working out his right leg towards the end of practice.
In brief flashes, he looks fantastic but as he goes on throughout practice, you can see how the fatigue bothers him. The team has come out and stated that his workload will be managed with rest days. Considering that he came back from a significant fracture and has been constantly rehabbing, there is a lot of rust to knock off. It wasn’t expected that he was at his pre-injury form after the first three days of practice.
Taking everything in, he looks fantastic for where he’s at in his rehab. Could he improve? Absolutely. He should improve and look more normal every day. It’s important to note that he doesn’t look 100 percent right now, but if he’s looking like this at the end of training camp, then I have bigger concerns.
Let the process play out and I believe that he will come through looking better at the end.
DE Von Miller (Right ACL)
Miller continues to regain his pre-injury form as evident in the video snippets we get and he even notes that he is feeling back to normal. He may not regain his 2022 pre-ACL form, but he should be better than last season.
New Injuries
WR Chase Claypool (Right Leg/Ankle)
Claypool suffered the first injury during training camp when he got tied up with Kaiir Elam on Wednesday. He came down on the right foot and walked away limping, briefly talking to head trainer Nate Breske.
This injury appears to be minor as he was able to return to practice the following day.
CB Cam Lewis (Left Leg)
Lewis was slow to get up after a play on Thursday, motioning to his left leg, briefly requiring trainers to tend to him. After missing several plays, he was able to return but was later observed with a sleeve on his left leg after practice.
Considering he was able to practice on Friday, this sounds more like a contusion than a strain, potentially a non-issue moving forward. He was not wearing a sleeve on his leg for practice Friday.
Update: according to Sal Capaccio of WGR550, Lewis later told him that he had a cramp and required a massage gun to help work it out. This was confirmed on the July 25 episode of It’s Always Game day In Buffalo.
QB Josh Allen (Right Ankle)
There were a few minor reports regarding Josh Allen having his right ankle tended to during practice according to Josh Reed noted above. Typically when Allen goes down, there are a lot of reports with a lot of detail. Anytime that Allen does require attention, it is worth noting.
However, speaking directly with Alex Brasky of The Batavia Daily News, he observed training staff taping Allen’s heel on Thursday. Brasky believed the reason was for a blister. I assume that the blister was on the back portion of the heel/Achilles area where the shoe could rub.
This is a non-issue and will just require tape and potentially higher socks next time.
Training Camp Observations
Photos with observations regarding various players wearing sleeves, braces, or possible injuries
Kim Pegula
It’s fantastic that Kim was able to come to training camp and break down the huddle following her cardiac arrest two years ago. I’ll refrain from more specific analysis as I do not believe that it is appropriate, but it’s evident that she is getting the best care possible to maximize her recovery and quality of life.
Final Thoughts
The fact that the Bills have all 91 players available after the first few days of practice and no one on PUP or NFI is promising. As practices wear on, I do expect to see some players getting vet rest days such as Matt Milano and Von Miller. It’s also promising that the few injuries that have been suffered, are minor and not leading to missing even one practice.
The Buffalo Bills return to practice Sunday after a day off and will continue to ramp up towards practicing with pads. Things are looking great overall and hopefully, this trend continues into next week.
Top Photo Credit: Buffalo Bills
