Always churning the bottom of the roster, the Buffalo Bills brought WR Marcell Ateman in for a workout earlier this week along with Preston Williams, signing Ateman to a one-year contract Thursday.
The veteran wide receiver comes to Buffalo after several years with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders along with a cup of coffee with the Arizona Cardinals. Most recently, Ateman was a member of the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. He does come in with several injuries but minimal playing time in the NFL.
Below is Marcell Ateman’s publicly reported injury history and any concerns.
College
2016 Oklahoma State
Right foot fracture, missed 13 games, entire season.
Running routes during the summer offseason, Ateman suffered a right foot fracture, causing his foot to give out underneath him. This was the result of a non-contact injury.
The fracture required surgery and while some of the reports were suggesting that he could return that season, he ultimately did not play, taking a medical redshirt. There were not any specifics as to the exact fracture he suffered.
NFL
2018 Oakland Raiders
No publicly reported injuries.
2019 Raiders
Ribs, Week 14, missed 0 games.
Ateman suffered a rib injury, likely a contusion against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. He was questionable heading into Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, seeing just six offensive snaps.
2020 Las Vegas Raiders
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Raiders
No publicly reported injuries.
2022 Arizona Cardinals
Only with the Cardinals for training camp, no publicly reported injuries.
XFL
2023 St. Louis Battlehawks
Right hamstring strain, Week 3, missed 3 games.
According to the XFL Youtube series, From Injury to the Field, Ateman suffered a hamstring strain, forcing him to go through rehab. The video stated that he had a double hamstring strain, but the video shows him working out the right leg and having a compression sleeve on the area.
The hamstring complex is comprised of three muscles in the back of the leg, but it’s not clear whether he had a hamstring strain in each leg or suffered strains to the different muscles within the right hamstring.
Buffalo Bills Injury Outlook
Ateman has suffered his share of injuries during his football career, most notably a broken foot and hamstring strain. His foot injury was seven years ago and appears to be a one-off issue.
The biggest issue appears to be the hamstring strain that cost him three games earlier this season in the XFL. He will have to work to stay healthy and avoid any type of injury in order to make this roster.
He was a tryout player signed based on potential. Anything can happen, he’s now on an NFL roster, but he could be an excellent practice squad player with occasional call-ups as needed throughout the season.
Top Photo Credit: SportsIllustrated.com
