The Buffalo Bills return to St. John Fisher yet again to kick off the 2026 NFL season. Rookies have already reported on July 21 while veterans report several days later. The first practice is July 29th which is later than most years, but the hope is that changing the training camp schedule allows for better learning and reduced injuries.
Unfortunately, injuries were a major storyline in 2025 with players either gutting through issues, missing extended time, or outright missing the season. Though injuries cannot be totally prevented, having the right training approach, preparation, and depth allows teams to avoid exposing players to overuse issues.
Below are the notable injuries coming out of 2025 and whether this could affect availability or production in 2026.
Offense
QB Josh Allen
Injuries: Right Elbow, Right Foot Fracture, Left Knee, Right Finger
Games Missed: 0
The NFL’s Iron Man continues to show why he’s one of the best despite playing through every single thing including a right elbow injury in Week 12, a right foot injury in Week 16 that turned out to be a Jones avulsion fracture, and left knee and right finger injuries in the Wild Card win.
Allen continues to defy any injury affecting the quality of his play which is remarkable in itself. The most serious injury, the foot fracture with surgery to remove the bone is fully healed and he should be ready for 2026. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Buffalo Bills, he’s the reason the Bills will either succeed or fail.
To read more about his foot injury, click below.
RB Ty Johnson
Injury: Right High-Ankle Sprain
Games Missed: 2
Johnson had one of the worst-timed injuries last year after suffering a right high-ankle sprain chasing contract incentives in Week 18. He was able to tape the ankle up to finish the game but was unavailable for the playoff run.
He has been working out all offseason and hasn’t appeared to be limited in anyway heading into this season.
WR Tyrell Shavers
Injuries: Right Ankle, Left ACL Tear
Games Missed: 1
Tyrell Shavers started and ended the season injured but in between the injuries really showed who he was as a player. Shortly after camp opened, Shavers fell in the end zone and injured his right ankle. There were initial fears that he had significant damage to his ankle but after testing, it was revealed he suffered a low ankle sprain and missed minimal time.
He managed to avoid the injury report all season until tearing his left ACL against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Showing his toughness, he braced his knee up and finished the game before undergoing surgery to repair the damage.
He will start the season on the PUP list as he continues to rehab. He could realistically return sometime in late November or December but may only be limited to special teams and will not be at his prior level of play until 2027.
WR Joshua Palmer
Injuries: Heel, Groin, Left Knee, Calf, Hip, High-Ankle
Games Missed: 7
Palmer quite possibly had one of the worst seasons from an injury perspective that didn’t result in surgery or having a truly season ending injury. He dealt with a heel issue during OTAs followed by a groin issue early in training camp. He appeared ready to take off as he built his chemistry with Josh Allen for the first quarter of the season with flashes of great play.
That all came to a halt when Palmer was dragged down from behind against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. This caused him to suffer a left high-ankle sprain along with calf, knee, and hip injuries. That initial injury caused him to miss three games before he returned to play. He then missed two more games following the Houston Texans game in Week 12 that saw him deal with some maintenance issues.
Unfortunately, prior to the playoffs, Palmer was shut down and placed on injured reserve, ending his season. It later came out that he simply was not healthy and could not run the route tree or perform to what was needed. OTAs saw Palmer rehabbing off to the side and he later confirmed that he did not undergo surgery for any injury. He was a full participant in mandatory minicamp and appears ready to go.
His career has been full of more ill-timed injuries rather than frequent injuries. Looking back, maybe the team shuts him down for longer to rehab after the initial injury, but injured reserve spots are at a premium and the injury at the time didn’t necessarily signify that he would need longer to heal.
I still expect Palmer to deal with injuries this year, it’s football, but the hope is that he can string together some healthy weeks and find that production that eluded him last year.
WR Khalil Shakir
Injuries: Right High-Ankle Sprain, Ribs, Right Ankle Surgery
Games Missed: 0
Shakir suffered a right high-ankle sprain during the Return of the Blue and Red Scrimmage when he was rolled up on. He was forced to miss most of the preseason before he returned for the regular season, not missing any games. He also was on the injury report for the ankle and ribs following Week 10, but did not miss extended time.
In the offseason, Shakir underwent right ankle surgery to likely clean up the ankle or tighten the joint back up after several high-ankle sprains to the area in recent seasons. He wore an ankle brace to protect the healing area as he participated during OTAs and minicamp but was not limited in any reps. I expect Shakir to return to his prior form entering 2026.
WR Mecole Hardman
Injury: Left Calf
Games Missed: 4
In his first game as a Buffalo Bill, Hardman suffered a left calf strain on a punt return that sent him to injured reserve for four games.
When he came back in Week 16, he was used sparingly and at times inactive. His talent will be the true reason whether he makes the roster.
TE Dalton Kincaid
Injuries: Oblique, Right Hamstring, Left Knee
Games Missed: 5
Kincaid has had injury issues since 2024 when he dove for an overthrown ball by Josh Allen and landed on his left knee, spraining his PCL. He was supposed to rehab his knee and build strength heading into 2025, but he immediately re-injured the knee in training camp during a collision and then injured it again while rehabbing from his hamstring injury sustained against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10.
He also dealt with an oblique injury earlier in the season but as the year progressed, his health continued to suffer and his snaps were limited to avoid overtaxing his body. According to Kincaid, the plan was to get surgery to repair the damaged PCL, but after consulting with several doctors, they advised him to avoid that route and instead rehab again.
The Bills were confident enough in this approach that they picked up his fifth year option, but a long term extension hangs in the balance. If he can stay healthy and put together a season that he is capable of, then the Bills would be willing to extend him. If injuries strike again, then they hedged their bets correctly.
I don’t necessarily agree with their plan of no surgery, but I don’t have the full details either. I wrote an article below with the expectation that he would undergo surgery but with the news that he wasn’t undergoing surgery, that led to the edits. Read more about his knee injury below.
OT Spencer Brown
Injuries: Back, Left Calf, Right Shoulder, Left Knee Surgery
Games Missed: 3 games
Brown is an elite talent that still continually battles with injuries year after year. 2025 saw him start camp with a back injury that left him starting on PUP. This was from training and trying new lifts to harden his body. He revealed that he has had several flare ups but have mainly been kept under wraps. During the regular season, he suffered a left calf injury that cost him one game while a right shoulder injury against the Houston Texans forced him to miss two games.
He also underwent offseason left knee surgery to clean the joint up sometime in early May as he missed all of OTAs. He confirmed that he would be ready for the season and I have no reason to believe he won’t be ready. Right now, his talent significantly outweighs the injury concerns he has carried his whole career and I expect another season of strong play with injuries mixed in as well.
OT Tylan Grable
Injury: Concussion
Games Missed: 12
Grable suffered a concussion in training camp just prior to roster cut downs which forced the team to place him on injured reserve to start the season. He spent a majority of the regular season on injured reserve. He was activated after Thanksgiving and was inactive every game until Week 18.
He was inactive for the two playoff games and looking back, he’s only played in four regular season games and one playoff game in the 2024 season. Grable has had terrible luck regarding injuries since entering the league. His concussion causing him to miss so many games was more likely due to roster management. His prior injuries shouldn’t affect his availability in 2026, but if he continues to have issues staying healthy this year, he could find himself looking for a new job after roster cuts.
Defense
DT Michael Hoecht
Injury: Right Achilles Tear
Games Missed: 11
Hoecht may have been the best defensive player on the field for two games last year before tearing his right Achilles against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He has been rehabbing ever since as he prepared for this upcoming season. Hoecht has come out and stated that he planned on being ready by July 1 and Brandon Beane has said he will be ready for training camp. Beane went further to say that they may need to limit reps and give him days off, but all signs point to Hoecht being ready.
He won’t be back at pre-injury form, that may not come until playoffs at the earliest but closer to 2027. To read more about his injury, click below.
DT TJ Sanders
Injuries: Right Knee Surgery, Wrist, Left Shoulder
Games Missed: 5
Sanders had a brief stint on injured reserve following a lingering knee injury that required a knee scope ahead of Week 5. This forced him to miss five games while he recovered before he came back. He also popped up on the injury report with a wrist injury ahead of Week 14 and a left shoulder injury in practice ahead of the Wild Card game.
Sanders was spotted with a sleeve on his right leg during Phase 3 of OTAs but didn’t appear to be limited during any sessions. Considering he played out of position at times, we didn’t get the best version of Sanders last year which may have contributed to some of the injuries. He should be entering 2026 healthy and at his primary position.
DT Phidarian Mathis
Injury: Shoulder
Games Missed: 2
After Mathis came to Buffalo after the regular season started, he slowly worked his way into the defensive line rotation before suffering a shoulder injury in Week 10. He missed the next two games before returning but never eclipsing 40 percent of defensive snaps with the exception of Week 18.
We never got the exact details of the shoulder injury but this didn’t appear to hinder him during this offseason. He has the potential to have a bigger role this season with the defensive switch. Injuries prevented him from living up to his second round selection when he came into the league. Hopefully a full offseason and health allows him to take that next step.
DT DeWayne Carter
Injury: Left Achilles Tear
Games Missed: 19
Days after roster cut downs, Carter tore his left Achilles in the first regular season practice, ending his season and putting the Bills into a tough predicament immediately. He underwent surgery and missed the entire season and has been working back into form.
Considering his uneven performance his rookie year affected by a wrist injury and missing last year, Carter has a lot to prove this training camp to make the roster. He has bulked up in order to play nose tackle, but he’s far from guaranteed to make the roster if he misses further time. He will be a full year removed from his injury by the time Week 1 kicks off, but we won’t see him be at pre-injury form until midway into the season at best.
He needs to maximize every rep and stay on the field in order to make the roster in 2026. To read more about his injury, click below.
DT Ed Oliver
Injuries: Left Ankle, Left Biceps Tear, Left Knee
Games Missed: 15
Oliver appeared to be on a tear last year when he was healthy, but those moments were so far and few between. He had an awesome Week 1 performance until he was stepped on in practice ahead of Week 2 causing a likely high-ankle sprain and forcing to miss four games.
Once he returned, he got right back to doing what he did best in Week 1 before a distal biceps tear took him out of the Carolina Panthers game. He immediately went out to see Dr. ElAttrache in Los Angeles to have the tendon reattached.
He rehabbed for the next three months and was on his way to returning for the playoffs before he tore the meniscus in his left knee, requiring a clean out. He bounced back rather quickly from that procedure before he made his return against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, his impact was minimal and he was forced out of the game just before halftime due to a knee issue.
He also told reporters in the offseason that he underwent three surgeries in the last year, (biceps, knee, and possibly another knee?). He missed portions of OTAs as he wore a sleeve on his left leg when he did participate.
Oliver’s luck was just about as rotten as anyone could have had last year. None of the injuries should affect him for 2026 unless the knee issue is more significant than we are aware of. I’d hope his injury issues are behind him, but he has the potential to take a step in performance this season. Hope he can stay healthy.
To read more about his biceps injury, click below.
DE Landon Jackson
Injuries: Right Calf, Left MCL/PCL/LCL Sprain
Games Missed: 10
Jackson had an incredibly rough season after he started training camp on the PUP list after dealing with a right calf injury from participating in the Sack Summit several weeks prior. He was cleared to practice at the end of July but had trouble working his way into the rotation, oftentimes, a healthy scratch.
In his third game against the Miami Dolphins, he got some early snaps in the game before going down with a left MCL and PCL sprain. The injury was significant enough to require surgery to likely reinforce the MCL damage but his PCL was only sprained and his LCL was intact.
He spent the rest of the year and offseason rehabbing and transforming his body to prepare for his second NFL season. Health has been an issue for Jackson throughout his college career with several ACL tears, but he has to prove that not only can he stay healthy, but that he can produce in the NFL. This is a big season for him, otherwise he will be another swing and a miss on a Day 2 draft pick.
LB Dorian Williams
Injuries: Right Knee, Groin, Neck, Lower Body
Games Missed: 0
Williams battled through several injuries last year including a right knee injury in Week 4 that cost him one game. He later suffered a groin strain in Week 10 and played through the injury until he suffered a neck injury in the divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos. He was taken to the hospital as a precaution before being released.
He appeared on track to be ready for 2026 before he was seen on crutches during mandatory minicamp. He was later seen without them the following day but there is some uncertainty as to whether he will be ready for training camp. Other than knowing this is a lower body injury that likely was sustained sometime after mid-May based on social media posts.
We will need more information to determine what the specific injury was and how it could impact his 2026, but this one will be one to watch closely.
LB Terrel Bernard
Injuries: Right Hamstring, Right Ankle, Right Elbow, Right Calf
Games Missed: 7
Bernard battled injuries all throughout the 2025 season after training camp started with a right hamstring strain that cost him a week as soon as camp broke. He was able to recover enough to finish the preseason but never quite looked like his previous self having difficulty pushing off the right side early in the season.
He then made matters worse when he re-injured his right calf against the Atlanta Falcons that cost him one game. He was able to return and still looked like a shell of himself before he dislocated his right elbow after getting sandwiched in the Houston Texans game, costing him three games.
Returning in Week 16 with a heavy brace, he played until he suffered a right calf strain in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles which kept him out of the regular season finale and playoffs.
In the offseason, Bernard underwent a right ankle ligament repair after dealing with this injury dating back to the 2023 playoffs when he subluxed the ankle. Bernard then spoke during the offseason about how he played through injuries that he probably shouldn’t have because he was a captain.
Bernard was able to practice in full all offseason and appears to be finally healthy heading into 2026. To read more about his ankle surgery, click below.
CB Maxwell Hairston
Injuries: Right LCL Sprain, Right High-Ankle
Games Missed: 8
Hairston had an incredibly tough rookie season after he sprained his right lateral collateral ligament or LCL in the first week of training camp. The initial concerns were that he tore his ACL but miraculously, he was able to avoid the more serious injury and be placed on injured reserve to start the season. He missed the first six games of the season before returning following the bye in Week 8.
He worked his way onto the field and was a steady contributor on defense with several starts until Week 18. He started the game and got valuable reps until the fourth quarter when he went down with a high-ankle sprain. This injury came to haunt the Bills weeks later in the divisional round after the cornerback depth was further stressed, leading to two touchdowns following respective injuries.
These injuries to Hairston were not necessarily anything that could have been prevented, but he started behind the eight ball coming out of camp and had an ill-timed injury at the very end.
With the Bills drafting Davison Igbinosun late in the second round, Hairston has a target on his back. He’s not in danger of not making the roster, but if Hairston’s injury woes continue, he may be looking at time on the bench or even as a trade candidate. His injuries won’t affect his ability to be ready this year, but there’s no margin of error. Let the battle for CB2 begin!
To read more about Hairston’s LCL sprain, click below.
S Cole Bishop
Injuries: Calf, Ribs, Left Knee Surgery
Games Missed: 0
Bishop made huge strides forward in his second season as he started every game he played in and only dealt with minor calf and rib injuries late in the season. During the offseason, it was revealed that he underwent left knee surgery to clean up a lingering issue.
None of these injuries should impact his ability to be ready for 2026 as he continues to develop into a top tier safety.
S Jordan Hancock
Injury: Right Shoulder
Games Missed: 1
Hancock underwent right shoulder surgery after originally suffering the injury in the preseason. He was able to start the season before aggravating it in practice prior to Week 2, missing one game.
We don’t have the exact details of why he underwent surgery, but he had been practicing with a red non-contact jersey all offseason. He appears to be on track to be fully ready for camp but may be wearing a shoulder harness for protection.
Special Teams
K Tyler Bass
Injury: Left Hip/Groin, Core Muscle
Missed Games: 19
Bass missed the entire regular season after dealing with left hip/groin pain early in training camp. He was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 1 and never really got close to returning before undergoing surgery in late November. It was never clear what the specific issue was but in the offseason, Brandon Beane noted that Bass had a core muscle injury.
Considering the team doesn’t have Bass going against any competition heading into camp, this signifies that he is fully healthy. Core muscle repairs have fantastic outcomes though it’s possible he had another procedure. I’m expecting that he is fully healthy. How good he will be though after missing a full year off is the bigger unknown.
To read more about his injury, click below.
New Players
To read about their injury histories, click the name.
Offense
Defense
Draft Picks/UDFA’s
Final Thoughts
The Buffalo Bills are a talented team, there’s no doubt about it. They also have a lot of flaws, like every other NFL team. Injuries will happen, but the hope is that the volume of injuries are lower and the severity is lessened.
The training staff did not change but with new leadership in Joe Brady, ideas that may have not been embraced can be implemented. Despite having a ramp up period the first week of camp to allow for acclimation, we will see an increase of injuries as guys begin hitting. This is a normal expectation, but the hope is that there is a small spike before things level off.
I was fortunate enough to hear the Los Angeles Rams PT, Jon Hernandez, speak back in February at a football rehab conference. He discussed hamstring injury risk mitigation and how the Rams program training to reduce training camp injuries. He stated that there is an expectation that there is 20 percent time lost for soft tissue injuries. Furthermore, they see the biggest spike in injuries 7-10 days after the mandatory day off following the ramp up period. Without getting into the weeds of the actual presentation, I was able to confirm that the Bills have a similar program to ramp up to avoid injuries. It’s noteworthy since he was the former PT for the Bills before he moved to Los Angeles.
I hope that the volume of injuries is significantly less for my sanity here at Banged Up Bills, but also so that the team that has been assembled can get to Week 1.
Best of luck to the teams they head into the 2026 NFL season as they chase the ultimate goal, a Super Bowl Championship.
Top Photo Credit: Adrian Kraus/The Associated Press
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