Right before the season ended, the Buffalo Bills began filling out their 90-man roster with the signing of TE Armari Rogers on January 17. Rogers comes to Buffalo after being born here while his father, Sam Rogers, played linebacker for the Bills during the mid-90s. The younger Rogers has been forging his path since entering the league as a UDFA.
Rogers is well-traveled throughout his collegiate and professional career with the Bills being his latest stop. He has contributed slightly on offense but has seen much more of his work on special teams when he has been on an active roster.
Below is Armari Rogers’s publicly reported injury history and analysis heading into the 2025 season.
College
2017 UNLV
Concussion, vs Utah State, missed 3 games.
Rogers suffered a concussion against Utah State during his redshirt freshman season which forced him to miss the following three games while in concussion protocol.
2018 UNLV
Right toe, plantar plate tear, vs Arkansas State, missed 6 games.
Rogers suffered a right toe injury in the fourth quarter in the 27-20 loss to Arkansas State. After further testing, it was revealed that he had torn the plantar plate in his right toe and was sidelined for six games. He was able to return for the final two games of the season.
2019 UNLV
Right Knee injury, vs Wyoming, missed 7 games.
Rogers suffered a right knee injury, specifically a sprain, after being tackled in the second quarter while playing Wyoming and could not place any weight through the leg. He was forced to miss the next seven games before returning for the season finale against San Jose State and did not record any statistics.
2020 Ohio
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Ohio
No publicly reported injuries.
NFL
2022 Washington Commanders
Knee/ankle injuries, Week 10, missed 6 games, placed on IR.
Rogers suffered a knee and ankle injury that forced him to injured reserve for six games during his rookie season. The side or the specifics of the injuries are not defined.
2023 Washinton Commanders
Achilles tear, offseason, missed the entire season.
While participating during team OTA’s in late May of that season, Rogers tore his Achilles and required surgery to repair the damage, ending his 2023 season. The side he tore was not specified.
2024 Philadelphia Eagles/Atlanta Falcons/Buffalo Bills
No publicly reported injuries.
Injury Analysis
Rogers has been injured frequently throughout his collegiate and professional career, missing a lot of time. It’s important to note that he switched from quarterback to tight end during the East-West Shrine Bowl which means his positional demands and movements change.
Looking at all of his injuries as a whole, some notable questions could lead to some concern. First off, the injuries that are of minimal concern are his concussion and right knee injury. He has not had any further concussions since then and considering the sources state that this was a sprain suggests that this is an MCL sprain especially considering he was tackled which could cause an MCL sprain.
There isn’t much information on his knee/ankle injuries which could have been a combination of an MCL sprain and high-ankle sprain which forced him to injured reserve but that is simply a guess. If that were the case, these injuries would also be relatively minor in terms of concerns for future issues
His plantar plate tear is noteworthy since players who suffer this injury return at an 80 percent rate but only 27 percent return to their pre-injury performance. I don’t see this injury as having a high recurrence but it’s also been nearly seven years since the injury which means it shouldn’t be a huge issue.
Finally, his Achilles tear during OTA’s was highly unfortunate but this is an injury we are seeing more often. He had it repaired and missed the entire 2023 season. Many players return to play the following season but lack explosiveness off the affected side and are slow to return to their pre-injury levels. The retear rates are as high as five percent which isn’t much of a concern moving forward.
Final Thoughts
No one injury will hold Rogers back, it’s more so whether he can stay healthy overall. The sum is greater than the parts in this instance. He also has the benefit of training this entire season instead of playing which allows him to get his body ready to perform rather than simply trying to return to play following injury. However, if he suffers an injury during OTAs or training camp, he may not stick around long and be released with an injury settlement.
At this point in his career, he may not be much more than a special teams player and occasional contributor on offense. Still, if Quintin Morris were to receive a nice offer elsewhere or Zach Davidson finds a new home, then Rogers may have a shot at making this roster as TE3. Otherwise, he has a tough road to navigate to make the Bills roster in 2025.
If he can stay healthy this year, then he has a shot simply because he is in the room.
Top Photo Credit: Emilee Fails/Washington Commanders
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