The Buffalo Bills take on the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte in Week 8, looking to break their two-game losing streak. As for the Panthers, they are on a three-game winning streak after a poor start had them at 1-3 and poised for another disappointing season. As this is a non-conference game, there isn’t much game history between the two, with the Bills owning the series at 6-2.
Despite the lack of competitive history, there is more history between the two franchises in the coaching and front office ranks. It’s well documented by now that head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane both came from Carolina shortly after the Panthers’ Super Bowl run to revitalize the Bills. GM Dan Morgan is a branch off the Beane GM tree and has helped rebuild the Panthers into a competitive team early this season.
This should be a competitive game between the two, considering the talent Buffalo has, but how hungry Carolina is looking to extend their winning streak. Read below for a full injury analysis of each team and projected inactives.
BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DT DaQuan Jones (Left Calf)
Jones was ruled out on Friday morning after he was unable to practice all week due to a calf injury sustained in warmups against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. He was spotted in a boot following the Falcons game, but was without it during the wives and girlfriends flag football game.
Sean McDermott didn’t rule out the possibility for injured reserve for Jones on Wednesday, but this would have to be a fairly significant calf injury for this to happen. Dating back to 2017, there are only three instances of two players who have had to go on injured reserve due to a calf injury. Baylon Spector went on injured reserve twice in 2024 for his calf injuries, missing eight games total, and Jon Feliciano went on injured reserve in 2021 for his calf injury, missing 5 games.
There have been other instances of players missing multiple weeks, including Tim Settle in the 2022 preseason, missing three weeks, and Sedrick Van Pran Granger missing the entire preseason in 2025 with his calf injury. If he avoids IR, then nearly every player previously missed one or two games. This means that Jones could realistically return for Week 9 against the Chiefs, but that’s with the idea that he begins to practice next week.
WR Joshua Palmer (Left Ankle/Knee)
Palmer was unable to practice all week after suffering a left ankle injury, very likely a high-ankle sprain. The surprising part was that he also had a knee designation, which suggests that he suffered an MCL sprain as well, given how much valgus stress was placed through the knee.
Both mechanisms of injury are similar, and it just depends on which joint the stress was placed through. Looking back at the film, this appeared to be a left ankle/knee injury, but the right ankle does rotate outward and also places pressure on the inside portion of the right knee. I will operate with the idea that this is a left leg injury. Historical data shows most Bills players have missed two to three games due to a high-ankle sprain. I can find only two instances where a player has needed injured reserve for a high-ankle, which were Jake Kumerow in 2022 and John Brown in 2020.
Knowing that Palmer had the week off last week, I believe he will miss this week and potentially next, with a potential return in Week 10, barring unforeseen circumstances. Once he returns to practice, there may be a clearer picture.
QUESTIONABLE
TE Dalton Kincaid (Oblique)
Kincaid was limited on Wednesday and Thursday as he works back from an oblique injury suffered during the Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots. He was questionable heading into Week 6 and looked to potentially play, but was held out as a precaution. The one big difference this week compared to last week is that he was not wearing a red non-contact jersey, a promising sign for his improved health.
I am expecting he plays this week.
LB Matt Milano (Right Pectoral)
Milano returned to practice with his trusty right shoulder harness strap as he works back from the aggravation of his right pectoral strain originally suffered in Week 2 and then re-injured in Week 5. Considering how he re-injured the pectoral even with two games off, I’m not optimistic that he plays Sunday. His body is breaking down after years of football and while I know he is doing everything possible to stay healthy, Father Time is undefeated.
The team didn’t do anything wrong by having him return in Week 5; he performed a one-arm tackle with the right side and tweaked the still-healing muscle. Considering how this is a non-conference game and the Kansas City Chiefs are next week, that appears to be the more appropriate target date.
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Ankle)
Bernard was limited on Wednesday and Thursday this week as he works back from a right ankle sprain suffered in the second quarter of the Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. This is an ankle that he has injured multiple times previously over the last several years. Due to the chronic nature of the injury at this point, the ankle is more susceptible to injury, but also bounces back quicker, which we see in this instance.
Having the bye off to allow the ankle to rehab and heal more likely allowed him to not miss any additional time. We may see him favoring it later on in the game as it progresses, but he plays with a high motor and has played through multiple injuries before, which means he knows how to adapt and protect himself.
ACTIVE
WR Curtis Samuel (Ribs)
Samuel was able to practice again this week after missing Week 6 due to a neck/ribs designation. His neck issue appears to no longer be a concern, and the ribs may require a nerve block and extra padding to get through the game. His rib injury appeared to have originated from his play on special teams in Week 5, taking several hard shots to his midbody.
Fortunately, he doesn’t have an injury designation and is active for Sunday.
INJURED RESERVE
S Taylor Rapp (Knee)
Rapp was the surprise addition to the injury report this week with a knee designation and was unable to practice all week. The knee injury that he was dealing with dates back to training camp, which doesn’t tell us a lot more, but he did have a sleeve on his right knee at the time, though he does often wear a sleeve on that side normally.
Looking back, he missed practice on August 3rd, returned August 4th, and then missed a whole week of practice, returning August 14.
Considering the timeline, this is a chronic issue that may have become more difficult to manage recently. This could be tendinitis that is flaring up, or an even more chronic issue, as he has had several knee injuries dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Rams. I highly doubt we will get specific details out of Rapp, but we will have to rely on reports and clues to find out more information.
Unfortunately, we may have to wait even longer as he was placed on injured reserve on Friday and will miss the next four games, eligible to return in Week 12.
CB Maxwell Hairston (Right Knee)
Hairston’s 21-day practice window officially opened on Monday, his first live practice was on Wednesday, and man, does he look good!
After being out of football rehabbing his right LCL sprain, he looks physically ready to play football again. However, Sean McDermott noted that the mental side is a significant part of his return to the field after being out for so long.
He has been wearing a hinged knee brace during his work off to the side since Week 4 and still was this week, but he appears to be close to ditching it. He even stated that he would prefer not to play with the brace, and I expect him to do so very soon. He still appears on track to debut in Week 10 if he uses his entire practice window timeframe.
To read more about his injury, click here.
CB Dorian Strong (Neck)
No new information has come out regarding the status of rookie Dorian Strong and his neck injury. The phrasing that’s used, “combing through the medical information”, leads me to consider that there is a plan of treatment on the table, but either the player or agent wants to explore other options. If we had any more specifics, then possible interventions could be discussed, but right now, it’s like trying to hit a target in the dark. He’s been at practice, and we haven’t seen him with any bracing, which suggests he hasn’t had surgery, but there are still many things he could be dealing with that still require conservative care.
Practice Squad Notes
CB Dane Jackson/DE Andre Jones Jr. (Undisclosed)
Both missed Thursday’s practice for unknown reasons. Practice squad injuries do not have to be officially reported.
CAROLINA PANTHERS INJURY REPORT
DOUBTFUL
QB Bryce Young (Right Ankle Sprain)
By far the most notable injury heading into this week is starting quarterback Bryce Young. He was forced to leave the Week 7 contest against the New York Jets with a right ankle injury, as seen below. You can see how he gets stepped on, but his toe also gets caught in the turf briefly as he falls. He was unable to return to the contest as Andy Dalton stepped in to close out the win.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Young has a high-ankle sprain and would miss this week’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
Young also had a high-ankle sprain to the same ankle last season and missed one game. I would argue that the previous season’s sprain was more significant.
Head coach Dave Canales would not commit to saying anything more than that it was a right high-ankle sprain during the postgame press conference on Sunday.
Following the game, he was spotted wearing a walking boot, a common intervention used to help manage swelling and provide support to the ankle.
While this appeared to be an open-and-shut injury, Wednesday’s practice saw Young out on the practice field, warming up and doing some conditioning during the media session.
Despite the positive progress, he was still listed as DNP on Wednesday and Thursday, while Andy Dalton took all the first-team snaps for the offense.
Considering how he hurt his ankle, he was officially a non-participant in practice, and it’s been designated a high-ankle sprain. I don’t see how he suits up for this week, at least. This is a non-conference game, and he has the potential to cause further damage to the ankle if he were to sprain it again or overstress the joint with scrambling and extending plays. He may get through the first half if he does play, but I could see where swelling and pain would limit his mobility and make him a liability or lean too heavily on the rushing attack.
Finally, less than two percent of players that are designated as doubtful play since 2017 which means it is a minuscule chance that he is even active, much less plays.
ACTIVE
DT Cam Jackson (Illness)
Jackson was unable to practice on Thursday due to illness. He was able to return in full on Friday and has no designation.
LB Princely Umanmielan (Ribs)
Umanmielan initially left with a back designation during Sunday’s win over the New York Jets with 3:43 left in the first quarter. Each film angle doesn’t get a great look at what happened, but he was pursuing Justin Fields in the backfield and tackled him as he launched the ball downfield. He was able to return with 11:47 left in the second quarter, then exited and returned for good with 1:05 left in the second quarter.
He was limited on Wednesday before getting a full practice in on Thursday and Friday with no designation.
G Damien Lewis (Shoulder)
Lewis missed last week with a shoulder injury after injuring the shoulder in practice on Thursday, downgrading to DNP for Thursday and Friday, listed as questionable, and ruled out. This appears to be a lingering issue as he was also on the injury report in Week 1 and 2 aloing with an ankle injury, though he did not miss time then.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
DT DaQuan Jones
WR Joshua Palmer
LB Matt Milano
DE Landon Jackson
OL Chase Lundt
Call Up: DT Jordan Phillips, S Jordan Poyer
Carolina Panthers Projected Inactives
QB Bryce Young
RB DeeJay Dallas
WR Hunter Renfrow
TE James Mitchell
DL James Crumedy
CB Akayleb Evans
Call Ups: QB Hendon Hooker
Final Thoughts
The Bills are a touchdown favorite, they are coming off a bye, and two game losing streak, everything favors the Bills to win this game. The Panthers are at home and have shown the ability to play a solid football game, especially after beating the Atlanta Falcons earlier this season.
Josh Allen and the offense could make this game quickly get out of control in their favor while the Panthers could take control with their running game in Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. I expect this game to be close through the first half and with the Bills to pull away in the second half capitalizing on mistakes or just better play.
Hopefully this is another entertaining game with minimal injuries so the Bills can be full go for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9.
Top Photo Credit: Pro Football Network
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