Dealing with a shortage of linebacker depth, the Buffalo Bills signed LB Otis Reese IV to the practice squad on September 23.
Reese comes to the Bills after two years with the Tennessee Titans after switching to linebacker from playing safety in college. Despite being on the practice squad, Reese could be developed as an option in the event of further injuries for this season and beyond.
Read below for a full injury history and analysis below.
Injury History
2023 Tennessee Titans
No publicly reported injuries.
2024 Tennessee Titans
Concussion, preseason, missed 2 weeks.
Reese suffered a concussion during the second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. The concussion was significant enough that he missed the final preseason game and the first week of the season against the Chicago Bears.
Rib injury, Week 11, missed 0 games.
Reese suffered a rib injury on the opening kickoff but was able to return to the game after initially deemed questionable.
Right ankle, Week 14, missed 3 total games, placed on injured reserve.
Reese suffered a right ankle injury originally in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars forcing him to miss the Week 15 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was able to return to play in Week 16 when he aggravated the injury in the first half. The following week, he was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
Reese doesn’t have much of an injury history but he did get banged up quite a bit last season. The ribs are of no concern considering he did not miss any extended time. The concussion is notable in the event that he gets further playing time, but this appears to be the only concussion in his history as his college information is incomplete.
The ankle injury was signficant enough to be placed on injured reserve, but in the midst of a 3-14 season, the team is looking for potential players for next season by giving them playing time. This sounds like it had the potential for this to be a high-ankle sprain, but it’s not clear from the Jacksonville game. However, watching the Colts game showed that he got rolled up on in the second quarter and was forced to exit the game.
Considering Reese is on the practice squad, he won’t see any time unless he gets called up, but with his playing experience, he may just have the opportunity.
I would like to welcome Otis Reese IV to Buffalo and to remain healthy this season.
Top Photo Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
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