Looking for veteran offensive line versatility and depth, the Buffalo Bills signed OL Austin Corbett to a one-year deal on Thursday. The veteran lineman has had several stops in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, and Carolina Panthers.
Appearing in 94 games with 78 starts, injuries have not been kind to Corbett as he has missed 29 games over the last three seasons due to various injuries. However, he has been part of a Super Bowl championship with the Rams and part of the nucleus that helped bring the Panthers back to the playoffs.
Read below for a full injury breakdown and analysis.
Injury History
High School
Partial ACL tear, Sophomore year.
Meniscus tear with surgery, Junior year.
Corbett suffered back-to-back knee injuries during high school for a partial ACL tear followed by a meniscus tear. It’s not clear whether this was the same knee.
College
2014 Freshman year
Ankle injury, vs Southern Utah, missed 1 game.
Corbett missed the Washington State game his freshman year after suffering an ankle injury in his first collegiate game.
NFL
2018 Cleveland Browns
Foot injury, Week 9, missed 0 games.
Corbett was a late addition to the injury report, appearing to suffer a foot injury in the Friday practice before playing the Kansas City Chiefs.
Foot, Week 12, missed 3 games.
Corbett missed three games after suffering a foot injury in Week 12 that prevented him from practicing for three weeks. It’s unclear if this was related to the prior foot injury.
2019 Browns/Los Angeles Rams
Thumb surgery, offseason.
Corbett noted that he had thumb surgery to place several pins into his thumb during the offseason. He noted that “thumbs don’t count” when discussing major surgery. He didn’t appear on the injury report that season.
2020 Rams
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Rams
No publicly reported injuries.
2022 Carolina Panthers
Left ACL Tear, Week 18.
Corbett suffered a left ACL tear in the season finale late in the second quarter. He was initially questionable to return until he was later ruled out. He had surgery eight days later.
2023 Panthers
Left Knee, missed 6 games.
Corbett started the season on PUP/Reserve as he rehabbed back from the prior season’s ACL tear. He was able to return in Week 8.
Left Knee, Week 11, missed 7 games.
Corbett suffered a left MCL sprain in just his fourth game back from his ACL tear that forced him back onto IR, ending his season.
2024 Panthers
Left Distal Biceps tear, Week 5, missed 13 games.
While blocking downfield during a Week 5 contest against the Chicago Bears, Corbett felt a pop and realized that he suffered a left distal biceps tear, ending his season.
2025 Panthers
Left MCL Sprain MCL sprain, Week 2, missed 5 games.
Corbett suffered another MCL sprain, this time a Grade 3 tear when a Cardinals linebacker fell into his knee, putting his knee into a valgus force. He was placed on injured reserve and missed five games.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
We first learned of the Bills interest in Austin Corbett when his name appeared on the transaction wire as a visit with the Bills on March 23.
Looking at the injury history above, it would make sense why they want a closer look at Corbett before signing him to any deal considering his injury history above, especially that left knee. I’m sure Corbett can’t blame them either; he showed a sense of humor in an X post when he tore his distal biceps and underwent surgery yet again.
Looking at all his injuries, he has missed 34 games over his NFL career. The injuries that don’t appear to have any lingering concerns are his foot and thumb issues as those appear to be one-off issues. The thumb did require surgery but he didn’t even appear on the injury report that year for that issue. It’s not surprising that there would be finger or thumb issues blocking on every snap.
His distal biceps tear is of no concern as upwards of 94 percent of players return to play in the NFL. We have seen how successful that procedure has been even under accelerated rehab plans with Matt Milano and Ed Oliver in recent seasons.
The biggest concerns I see are his two ACL tears, multiple MCL sprains, and his meniscus tear throughout his career dating back to high school. Research shows that NFL offensive lineman have no real change of performance coming off an ACL tear, though only 62.5 percent actually return. That return percentage is more likely due to the competitive nature of football with guys getting cut for healthy players or aging out of the league.
There is research to support that traumatic knee injuries along with surgery does increase the risk for future osteoarthritis within the knee. The study found that 13 percent of current soccer players are dealing with arthritic changes and is increased at 28 percent in retired players. Furthermore, traumatic knee injuries can lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis in 25-50 percent of injuries.
Corbett is also 6’4”, 305 lbs which doesn’t help with natural arthritic changes adding more stress to the joints. Finally, he’s entering his age-31 season. However, this comes with the territory of playing NFL football.
Final Thoughts
The Bills needed to bring in veteran depth for competition and to fill out the roster. This signing is an example of that. Corbett’s recent availability is a big reason why he didn’t find a new home sooner.
My biggest concern is how that left knee looks. I’m sure his right knee may not be a lot better, but he’s had a lot of trauma to that left knee. Considering he is on a one-year deal, the signing indicates that he will compete for a roster spot and be a valuable depth option should another injury occur. If this had been a multi-year deal or a lot of money, I have different thoughts. But experienced depth is valuable in the NFL.
I would like to welcome Austin Corbett to Buffalo and to remain healthy this season.
Top Photo Credit: Carolina Panthers
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