Dipping into the well of familiar players, the Buffalo Bills brought back DT Quinton Jefferson after letting him walk following the 2020 season. Jefferson comes back to the Bills amid a need for defensive tackle depth following the injuries to DeWayne Carter and Dawuane Smoot.
Jefferson has been well traveled since his first stint in Buffalo and has had several injuries. Below is his injury history and analysis.
Injury History
A portion of this was taken from my Buffalo Rumblings article in 2020.
2016 Seattle Seahawks
Drafted in the fifth round, Jefferson dealt with a thumb injury in training camp that required surgery, but made it through to Week 1. He appeared in three games before having his season cut short by an ACL tear in practice, ending his rookie campaign. It’s important to note that this was Jefferson’s second torn ACL as he tore his right one during his junior year at Maryland. No specifics have been released regarding which ACL he tore in 2016.
2017 Seahawks
Appeared in six games, starting none. During the final cut-down day before the regular season, Jefferson was waived by Seattle and quickly claimed by the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams waived him the following week only to sign him to their practice squad. He did not appear in any games for Los Angeles, but he was picked back off the practice squad by Seattle less than one month later. Unfortunately, sometime before Jefferson even stepped foot on the field, he suffered a hand injury that cost him a game against his former team in California. He returned and was able to play several more games throughout the season.
2018 Seahawks
Jefferson finally found a home in Seattle, appearing in all 16 games with 12 starts. He also did not suffer any reported injuries, allowing him to finally break out as a regular in the NFL.
2019 Seahawks
Appeared in 14 games, starting 12. He suffered a hip injury early on that he didn’t miss any time for, but an oblique strain several weeks later cost him two games. He was able to recover well enough to help push Seattle into the playoffs where bad luck with injuries struck once again.
During the win over the Philadelphia Eagles, he suffered an ankle injury, of which details are scarce. He was ruled questionable for the following game against the Green Bay Packers, but he ultimately played in the loss. It was revealed afterward that Jefferson suffered a Jones fracture, which could have occurred due to the already pre-existing ankle injury.
He had surgery to correct the fracture this past January, and his timetable to return was set at eight weeks. Fortunately, this means he will be healthy come time for OTAs and training camp.
2020 Buffalo Bills
Foot injury, Week 4, missed 0 games.
Knee injury, Week 8, missed 0 games.
Jefferson was questionable both Week 8 and 9 but played both weeks.
Hip injury, Week 13, missed 0 games.
Ankle injury, Divisional Round, missed 0 games.
2021 Las Vegas Raiders
Back injury, Week 6, missed 0 games.
Jefferson played in his normal complement of snaps despite being questionable.
Personal matter, Week 7, missed 0 games.
2022 Seattle Seahawks
Illness, Week 18, missed 0 games.
2023 New York Jets
Hip injury, Week 15, missed 3 games, went on IR.
Jefferson suffered a hip injury that forced him out of the Miami Dolphins game after just 11 snaps.
Following the season, it was revealed that he tore two groin muscles that required surgery to repair.
2024 Cleveland Browns
No publicly reported injuries.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
Jefferson has done quite alright for himself injury wise since he left the Bills back in 2020. The biggest injury he had was his groin muscle repair which was essentially a core muscle repair. These repairs do very well and have no drop off in performance or career longevity.
His Jones fracture and ACL tear are notable but do not appear to have had any chronic issues such as repeated appearances on the injury report with the knee.
Outside of the hip injury that required surgery, any other issues were one off and you could make the argument he was healthier after leaving the Bills. His snap counts have largely stayed the same, roughly 50 percent with the exception of 59 percent in 2021 with Las Vegas.
Jefferson has a working knowledge of the defense and appears to be a reliable depth option for the Bills during his second stint.
I wish Quinton Jefferson the best of luck and to remain healthy.
Top Photo Credit: Buffalo Rumblings
