Unexpected news came out on Sunday evening with the news that second-year DT DeWayne Carter tore his left Achilles tendon and would miss the 2025 season.
This injury occurred during Wednesday’s practice after the media left following their viewing period.
Carter has undergone surgery already in the last few days based on his recent social media post on IG.
Read below for a detailed analysis including a return to play timeline and expected performance upon return.
Anatomy
The Achilles tendon is a band of connective tissue that connects the gastrocnemius and soleus to the calcaneus, allowing the foot to plantarflex or point down. This is essential during walking, jumping, running, and sprinting.
Mechanism of Injury
A rupture of the Achilles tendon occurs when an eccentric load is placed through the area, overloading the muscle, and resulting in the tendon tearing. This commonly occurs when a player is trying to push forward but gets driven back such as blocking on the offensive or defensive line, gets his weight shifted too far forward over his foot with his foot in end range dorsiflexion, cutting hard and pushing through the foot as one would see in a running back, or landing from jumping in the case of a defensive back.
These movements could lead to forceful dorsiflexion or the foot moving upward. This could also occur if the knee is extended and placing excess force through the front of the foot, overstressing the Achilles tendon.
Risk Factors
These injuries are sudden and typically come without warning, which makes this injury all the more devastating. There is usually a loud pop and immediate pain as if the person was stabbed or shot. Weakness and the inability to flex the foot down are common symptoms and swelling and a possible gap in the tendon when palpating the area.
Prior injuries to the calf region such as a calf strain or tendonitis are thought to contribute to an Achilles injury. Carter did not have any known issues from his history or recently this offseason.
On Sunday evening, Carter posted a picture from his hospital bed confirming that it was the left Achilles tendon he tore based on the boot poking out from under the covers.
Diagnosis
Achilles tendon tears are easy to diagnose with several special tests including the Thompson test. This is when the person is placed into a prone position and the lower leg hanging off the table. The calf muscle is squeezed and a positive test is when the foot does not plantarflex when the muscle is contracted due to the squeeze.
A more accurate test that was likely performed back in the locker room is the Matles test. The person lies on their stomach and bends their knee to 90 degrees. If the foot does not move or moves into dorsiflexion, then that is a positive sign that it is torn. The foot would normally slightly point downward in a negative test, indicating a tightening of the calf muscle that connects at the knee.
Surgery and Rehab
Surgery and rehabilitation take roughly six to nine months to return to normal activities and athletics for normal populations. Details of the various types of surgical repair can be viewed here.
Return to Play
The concern to re-tear in the NFL is closer to 15 percent, but this number may be more accurate as there are far more eyes on a smaller group of individuals than the general population that relies on outside data for studies. Normally, the re-tear rate is one-to-two percent in the general population.
Return-to-play rates do vary but levels as high as 78 percent across all positions have been reported within the NFL according to studies. The average amount of time takes 8.9 months. However, the return to play for a defensive lineman was at 328.2 days +/- 83.4 days which equates out to just shy of 11 months. Based on when Carter tore his Achilles on August 27, he should be fully cleared by the time training camp starts in 2026, barring setbacks.
Due to more aggressive rehab, there have been advances that have shaved the return to play in the NFL down to six to eight months. Improvement in performance following the injury has been observed, suggesting that this isn’t as much of a career-ender as it was a decade or two before.
Looking at the defensive line specifically, return to play is reported at 80 percent. However, there is a decline in games played the following season (12.2 +/- 4.0 vs 13.3 +/- 2.5 games) and a shorter career length (2.4 +/- 1.6 vs 3.3 +/- 2.0 years) as compared to controls.
There are research articles available that show the decline in performance following Achilles repair but they do not appear to be publicly available. One study does state there is a 22 percent net decrease in power among all positions. How this translates out to statistical performance isn’t clear. We typically see tendon injuries like this allow a player to return to play the following season but with decreased performance. However, this decline is decreased for the following season and players can return to their prior level of performance two years removed from the injury. This would put Carter in the final year of his rookie deal.
Bills Comparables
This is not the first time that the Bills medical staff has dealt with an Achilles tear and gotten them back on the field. Several recent examples include:
DE Bryan Cox Jr, OTA’s 2021
OL Ike Boettger, Week 16 2021
CB Tre’Davious White, Week 4 2023
With every one of these players, each has unfortunately tailed off in their respective careers. Cox Jr signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 during the offseason and then went to the CFL where he continues to play.
Boettger stayed with the Bills through training camp cut downs during the 2023 season. He was able to play in one game during 2022 and two games in 2023 with the Indianapolis Colts before bouncing around on practice squads in 2024.
White was cut from the Bills in the spring of 2024 and signed with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens, appearing in 13 total games including playoffs before returning to Buffalo this season.
Final Thoughts
The Bills had been lucky in some respects not dealing with a season ending injury since 2023 when Matt Milano and Tre’Davious White exited with their respective injuries. The Bills dealt with a high volume of injuries this preseason, but nothing was fortunately season-ending.
Looking at everything as a whole, this is terrible for Carter as he will miss the 2025 season. This comes on the heels of Carter’s right wrist ligament tear and surgery last year, missing five games.
However, the timing of an injury like this works to his benefit. This happened early in the season which means he has the entire year to be ready for 2026. He should be cleared for the 2026 season based on the research noted above, barring setbacks. We will likely see a decline in performance which is typical with major injuries like this, but this will be his third season in a four-year rookie deal. He will have 2027 to prove that he can either earn a contract extension or find a new home in free agency.
I wish DeWayne Carter the best of luck in his rehab and recovery as he prepares for the 2026 season.
Top Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports
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