After the 2025 season abruptly ended with a 33-30 OT loss to the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills had exit physicals and locker clean out on Sunday. Typically, every year, we get news about the extent of the injured players dealt with all season. Or we get clarification on the injuries which allows for timelines to be established.
Read below for all the injury news coming out of One Bills Drive.
Note: Normally we get some additional information during locker clean outs and during the end of season press conference. Due to the firing of Sean McDermott, that topic was the main talking point.
Make sure to check back for updates as they come out including surgeries, reports, and general news.
Injury Updates
QB Josh Allen (Right Foot)
The one bit of injury news that came out of Wednesday’s press conference was the news that Josh Allen may need a procedure on his right foot. This is certainly noteworthy as prior reports didn’t hint at this or provide much context as to what was going on with his foot.
Looking back at this injury, he originally hurt it against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16 trying to evade DE Myles Garrett. He falls over his right foot, gets it looked at and x-rayed in the locker room during halftime and comes back out, limited in his rushing abilities as the Bills win the game.
He was able to play in the following game against the Philadelphia Eagles and tweaked the ankle again midway through the third quarter as seen below.
Then, we got a report from Ian Rapoport further describing Allen’s foot injury. The report clarified that his injury was on the outside portion of the foot, that it was from an old bone injury, and that it was irritated. Rapoport also went on to say it was a pain tolerance issue.
Knowing what we knew about how he injured the foot, the additional details from Rapoport, and the fact he may need a procedure narrowed some things down for us.
Looking back, Allen had never been on the injury report for a right foot injury. He did have a left foot injury in 2021. He had been on for a right ankle injury in Week 12 of the 2020 season and Week 5 of the 2024 season.
The 2020 injury was when he was taken down awkwardly by then Chargers DE Joey Bosa, appearing to suffer an MCL sprain and high-ankle sprain. I don’t think this was the cause of the old bone injury.
As for his 2024 injury, he rolled his ankle and confirmed it against the Houston Texans as seen below. They did have him on the injury report for an ankle at the time but this could have affected his foot as well. This could have caused an avulsion fracture at the fifth metatarsal at the time which will be discussed later.
He also appeared to have a similar mechanism of injury against the Eagles, rolling his ankle then as well as mentioned above.
It’s entirely possible that Allen could have suffered a Jones fracture or Dancer’s fracture in his foot. A Jones fracture is a fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal and can fracture in several different zones. A Dancer’s fracture is in the same location, but more in the shaft of the bone.
These diagnosis, especially the Dancer’s fracture, don’t entirely fit what was reported with the Jones fracture being more likely, I realize that. It’s entirely possible that the injury worsened to a point where surgery is considered since the Rapoport report.
Both have a similar mechanism of injury with rolling the foot inward with the Dancer’s fracture having the weight over the balls of the feet and plantarflexed. Jones fracture is more when the ankle is rolled inward with the foot plantarflexed while the heel is inverted inward.
Depending on where a fracture would be and how significant it is can dictate treatment.
If this is an avulsion fracture in Zone 1 at the end of the metatarsal, these heal well without surgery due to the good blood supply. This is the result of a part of bone pulling off with the tendon, also known as a pseudo-Jones fracture. If this is in Zone 2, there is a chance for non-union healing which would require surgery. If this is in Zone 3, this could be a stress fracture and if it does not heal, then surgery would be recommended. Considering Allen required multiple x-rays, they may have been checking to see if things worsened, especially after the Philadelphia Eagles game.
My guess would be Zone 2 or 3 if Allen needs surgery. For the Dancer’s fracture, if the fracture is displaced enough, surgery is indicated to fix the issue. I imagine it would have been incredibly difficult to play through either injury.
Update: During Mitch Morse’s podcast on Thursday night, Dawson Knox mentioned that Josh Allen broke his foot, though he did say break and Morse cut in, preventing Knox from saying the full issue. Knowing what we know about the location of the injury, this fits what was mentioned above.
To listen to the clip, please click below.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxpIuuV_eGJiLthO81itwpGshqVIe3cfel?si=SaZ9q6FYWXJcKLH9
Should surgery be indicated, the orthopedic surgeon placed an IM screw in the bone in order to allow the bone to fully heal together.
Studies vary between what is appropriate for Jones fracture surgery to repair the damage with some showing waiting at least 10 weeks before returning to play significant cuts down on re-injury. Considering it’s the offseason, there should be absolutely no rush to get back onto the field.
If Allen elects not to have surgery, there is up to a 33 percent chance of re-fracture. Should he undergo surgery, the re-fracture rate is between 7.5-12 percent. One study I found was a presentation that broke down Jones fractures by position and showed only one quarterback dealing with this meaning there’s not deep research looking at the quarterback position. I’m not aware of any studies that show a decline in performance after this injury unless they returned in under 10 weeks.
Finally, he could elect to undergo a platelet-rich plasma PRP injection which would be considered a procedure and be non-surgical. These studies have not been replicated in American athletes but it doesn’t mean that it can’t be used.
This will come down to how Allen’s feeling and healing. Surgery fixes a lot of things, but if surgery isn’t needed, then don’t do it. Knowing that OTA’s begin in April, Allen has plenty of time to decide and to rest and allow the foot to heal naturally or if he does undergo surgery, this will still be ample time to recover.
Update: 1/29/26 Allen confirmed that he had surgery to remove a bone chip off his fifth metatarsal from the original injury in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns. He was spotted wearing a boot and using crutches as he came into Joe Brady’s press conference.
This confirms that he had the Zone 1 fracture as mentioned above and they went ahead with the surgery Sunday so he could remove the bone chip. He also had the surgery in Birmingham, Alabama.
I have zero concerns he is ready for OTA’s and this should prevent any future issues.
For more details, check out this article here.
LB Shaq Thompson (Right Hamstring/Neck Contusion)
Thompson revealed that he had suffered a “popped” tendon in his hamstring during training camp and also a neck contusion against the Steelers.
This knowledge does add some context to the hamstring injury he was dealing with for a good portion of the season. Looking back, originally injured his hamstring during the Return of the Blue and Red Scrimmage on August 1. He missed two weeks of practice before he was able to return on August 15. He was alright through the rest of training camp before he appeared on the injury report with a hamstring ahead of Week 2. It’s not clear if he re-injured it against the Baltimore Ravens but between that and his right hand injury that appeared to be a finger fracture, he missed the game and spent two weeks on the injury report.
He then injured his hamstring again in practice, potentially the same side ahead of Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs, missing three games and spending four weeks on the injury report.
I want to focus on the wording “popped his tendon”. Had he torn the tendon off the bone, this would have required surgery. Also, a partially torn tendon would have taken much longer than two weeks to recover from. What likely happened was that he suffered a hamstring strain close to the tendinous attachment to the bone.
Giving it two weeks off helped but when he returned, it’s possible he dealt with hamstring tendinitis off and on throughout the season. This would explain his brief re-appearance on the injury report and then aggravating it in practice. Tendinitis is not something that goes away quickly without loading the tendon properly with strengthening, other rehab, and time addressing the area. I don’t like the phrasing Thompson used, but if that’s what he was told, then he is going to repeat what he was told. This does explain why it lingered all year.
I don’t foresee Thompson needing any surgery this offseason either for this injury. This is something that could linger if he doesn’t address it but with proper training and rehab, this can get better.
Thompson also stated that he suffered a neck contusion against the Pittsburgh Steelers which was in Week 13. He did not appear on the injury report until suffering a neck injury against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. He then lingered on the injury report the rest of the year, missing the season finale due to being more of a healthy scratch.
I could not find any specific instance where he suffered his neck contusion against the Steelers. He did get involved in a lot of tackles that game but I did not see any instance where he was rolling out his neck or slow to get up.
Too often, we never quite hear the extent of the injuries, but in this instance, we got some clarification.
DE Greg Rousseau (Right Knee)
On Monday, Rousseau stated that he had hurt his knee early in the season which led to a slow start. Looking back, in Week 1, he had a direct knee-to-knee collision with Ravens RB Derrick Henry as seen below.
He wore a sleeve on his right knee to manage any swelling. Based on how the knee lingered with reduced production despite being on the injury report just one week, this was potentially a bone bruise.
This isn’t something that is a concern moving forward or exposes him to increased risk of injury, but oftentimes, the injuries that barely appear on the injury report linger longer than we see.
DT DeWayne Carter (Left Achilles)
Carter revealed that he does not have a timetable for his return but that he hopes to be ready for Week 1. Considering he tore his Achilles back on August 27, he is nearly five months removed from his surgery several days after.
We will see him doing more during OTA’s and potentially even participate in Phase 3 of OTAs along with mandatory minicamp, but I do agree with Carter that he will be ready for Week 1, barring setbacks.
Update: 2/1/26: Carter posted to his IG story about his rehab progress that you can see below. He has more work to do to get football ready but what he’s doing now looks great.
WR Tyrell Shavers (Left Knee ACL Tear)
Shavers originally tore his left ACL in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round. He put a brace back on the knee and finished the game, earning admiration from all of Bills Mafia for his toughness. Nine days later on January 20, he underwent ACL reconstruction which began his rehab clock.
This is rather quick for an ACL surgery as they wait roughly three weeks for swelling to subside along with improving the range of motion and strength. This is so rehab can be more effective when they begin and he’s not fighting an uphill battle with inflammation and weakness. Per Tim Graham and Friends at the 56 min mark, Shavers had surgery in Dallas.
Having surgery quickly tells us at least two things. It tells us that those metrics with range of motion and strength were adequate enough that the surgeon felt comfortable to operate. There may have also been minimal damage which helped avoid excessive swelling. Timelines do matter for rehab and when Shavers’ tear occurred, that puts him at nine months roughly for him to return. However, that will only clear him to return to football activities. He will then need to work to get back into football shape.
He will start the season on the PUP list and ideally be activated sometime mid-season, barring setbacks.
TE Dalton Kincaid (Left PCL Tear)
On Thursday night, Dawson Knox was on the Monday Morning’s with Mitch Morse podcast where he revealed that Kincaid had been playing with a torn PCL. This is an injury that has lingered since 2024 and I believed needed to have surgery to correct the issue.
Update: Incredibly on January 29, Kincaid himself said that he will not undergo surgery and that he is feeling good. Brandon Beane went further and said that they expect to pick up his fifth-year option.
Read more about the injury, re-injuries, and concerns.
S Wande Owens (Left Knee)
On Friday, Owens posted a series of pictures on his Instagram account following his first year with the Bills. Two of the pictures show him in a hospital bed with steri strips on his left knee.
On August 21, Owens left practice with a trainer. Two days later, he was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
We never got an update on why he was on injured reserve or how he was doing. There is another picture showing him rehabbing with Dorian Strong, Landon Jackson, and DeWayne Carter as Owens wore a sleeve on his left knee.
Based on the quiet nature of how he left practice and surgical incision sites, there’s a strong likelihood that he tore his ACL in practice and underwent an ACL reconstruction.
Considering this happened in late August with surgery several weeks later, he should be ready for training camp next year and potentially be able to participate during OTA’s. The team also had a similar approach when Zach Davidson tore his ACL in 2023.
DB Dorian Strong (Neck)
We still have not gotten any official updates on Dorian Strong after he was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 5. This came after a neck injury in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints.
When he was placed on injured reserve, Sean McDermott’s tone wasn’t optimistic but never shut down any discussion about his future either.
We occasionally got updates from Strong from him walking around at practice or in the locker room. We did get a more recent update from Bills S Wande Owens who posted a pic on IG of him rehabbing with other injured Bills. Strong is in the red hoodie.
We know this is at least after Week 10 due to Landon Jackson’s presence, but considering he’s not wearing a brace, this picture is likely more recent.
We may get more insight into his injury as the offseason progresses, but the fact that he is rehabbing is positive to see.
Update: 1/29/26
Strong may undergo a procedure which means that he had not previously and had been rehabbing in order to heal the neck naturally. What this procedure is, that’s unknown due to not knowing what the exact injury was.
Update: 2/11/26
Strong underwent neck surgery on 2/11/26 and had an unknown recovery timeframe to return. Once there is more information regarding his procedure, then a realistic timeframe for recovery can be established.
K Tyler Bass (Left Hip/Groin)
Bass could have potentially returned for the Super Bowl had the team made it which gives us a timeline of his recovery. He originally had surgery the week of Thanksgiving which would have put roughly 10 weeks out from surgery to the Super Bowl.
I detailed everything out in this article regarding specific surgical techniques with one that involved placing a mesh which would have allowed him to return in one-to-two months.
WR Joshua Palmer (Left Ankle)
On Bleav in Bills on Saturday, the whole episode can be found here, Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle sat down with Adam Benigni of WGRZ Channel 2 and discussed his sit down with Brandon Beane.
Sal noted how the left high-ankle sprain Palmer suffered in Week 6 affected not just his ankle, but also affected his calf and hip. Keep in mind, he was also on the injury report for a left knee at that time too.
Here is Sal’s transcript from the podcast:
He said about Josh Palmer that that injury he suffered against Atlanta, it was his ankle, his calf, and his hip were all affected by that. And he said by the end of the year, they’d be in practice and he would not be able to run a certain route because of what he had to do to cut. And the coaches were asking him like, “What? What’s what what are you doing? Why can’t you?” And he said, “l can’t run that route.” That’s why they shut him down. He could have played, but they just said, “It’s pointless. You can’t do certain things.”
What’s notable is that Palmer couldn’t do certain routes. Looking at the route tree, I bet he couldn’t run the flat, comeback routes very well to his left. The post, slant, and dig routes may have also been significantly affected having to explode off the left side to go right. That’s half of your route tree right there.
Understand how the calf and hip were affected, the calf had to overwork to drive himself forward over an unstable ankle. The ankle was no longer the strong lever necessary to drive forward and cut which means to compensate, the calf needed to contract more forcefully to get the job done. He was never on the injury report for a calf, but he lacked explosiveness as a result.
As for his hip, possible diagnosis include hip impingement or a labral tear could have been a possibility considering how the hip was placed into extreme internal rotation and jammed into the socket when he fell. He could have also had an adductor strain or groin affecting his ability to cut hard off the left side. If he had instability or pain within the hip, he wouldn’t be able to get low enough to generate any power off the left leg due to pain or weakness.
With the benefit of hindsight, he should have been placed on injured reserve at the time. He did miss three games and four weeks total, but he likely needed more time. I’m also a staunch defender of the medical staff, but I question how well Palmer really was rehabbed. To have that many compensation issues suggests he shouldn’t have returned when he did or rehab wasn’t effective enough.
Finally, he dealt with an undisclosed injury during OTA’s last spring which was revealed to be a heel injury.
This shouldn’t linger into next season with proper rest and rehab, but it’s unfortunate that one injury cost Palmer so much time.
Possible Surgeries:
DT Ed Oliver (Left Knee)
CB Dorian Strong (Neck)
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Ankle)
OT Spencer Brown (Right Shoulder)
DE Joey Bosa (Left Wrist)
TE Dalton Kincaid (Left PCL Tear)
Surgeries already completed:
S Taylor Rapp (Right Knee)
DL Michael Hoecht (Right Achilles)
S Damar Hamlin (Left Pectoral)
WR Tyrell Shavers (Left ACL Tear)
DT DeWayne Carter (Left Achilles)
Final Thoughts
I expect more news to come out in the coming days and weeks as to what surgeries are completed and what other news we get. Make sure to check back for the latest injury news and updates this off-season.
Top Photo Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
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