After a brief layoff, the Buffalo Bills return to Highmark Stadium to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. The Bills are working through some injuries but have been afforded several extra days while the Chargers are reeling with injuries across their roster including a large hit to their tight end room with David Njoku breaking his right fibula and Charlie Kolar breaking his forearm.
However, the Chargers are 0-2 and with another loss, would start to see their season go down the tubes. They have a bright offensive mind in Mike McDaniels who has plenty of experience with the Buffalo Bills during his time in Miami. The Chargers are not a desperate team, but they may play with more of an edge knowing they don’t want to start 0-3.
Read below for the full analysis of each injury report along with projected inactives and final thoughts.
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BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DL T.J. Sanders (Appendix)
Sanders underwent an emergency appendectomy on Tuesday night to remove his appendix. He has since been ruled out indefinitely which means he will miss this upcoming game and potentially others with a placement on IR not entirely ruled out. Looking at research of other NFL players that underwent emergency appendectomies, most have missed between 1-2 games.
Looking at specific examples, Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr missed 2 games in 2025, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow missed two weeks of training camp in 2022. Carolina Panthers OT Ikem Enwonu missed 1 game in 2025 just as training camp ended. Houston Texans TE Cade Stover missed 2 games in 2025. Pittsburgh Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick missed 1 game in 2022. Tennessee Titans OT Peter Skowronski missed 3 games in 2023. Some of these were the timing of when the issue happened but every player responds differently.
There is a concern that he had an open appendectomy if there was an infection or the appendix ruptured, then that timeline gets extended and an IR stint is more likely. Considering he wasn’t placed on IR on Friday, he appears to have the shorter timeline.
QUESTIONABLE
WR Keon Coleman (Right Ankle)
Coleman suffered a right ankle injury with 1:27 left in the second quarter when he went up for a pass and rolled his ankle underneath him. He quickly came off the field and got his ankle taped up before he returned to finish the game. Based on the injury, this looked to be a low ankle sprain with many players playing the next week.
However, this is also the same side that he had the foot/toe injury that he suffered against the Carolina Panthers in the preseason. Two practices in a row where he did not practice before he got a limited practice in on Friday wasn’t great for his outlook. Maybe the injury was more severe than it looked? Maybe there were underlying issues that the ankle sprain exacerbated? I’m not a fan of how his injury progression went especially with the extra time off.
With a 62.2% chance to play according to the Banged Up Bills injury database at Spartera, I’m not liking his chances to play Sunday. This would also be a great opportunity to get Skyler Bell some snaps.
WR DJ Moore (Left Shoulder)
Moore has been working through his left AC joint sprain that saw him leave Thursday’s game and did not return. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed that this was an AC joint sprain the following Sunday and he was since listed day-to-day. He was out in practice on Wednesday and looked good moving around, but downgraded to did not participate on Thursday.
He was out at practice at some point based on Thursday’s practice photo’s but did not log any reps. This could have been due to the shoulder being sore from testing it out yesterday as well. I had expected him to be limited all week but I was not expecting a DNP Thursday. He appeared optimistic that he would play when reporters spoke to him on Wednesday but there was no definitive assessment that he would play on Sunday.
With a 55.6 percent chance to suit up on Sunday according to the Banged Up Bills injury database, I still like his chances given the specifics of his injury and prior experiencing playing through injury.
DL Ed Oliver (Right Hip)
Oliver missed the Week 2 contest after sustaining a right hip injury just prior to inactives on Thursday night. Due to the injury occuring at 6:38 pm and the inactives going official at 6:45 pm, they simply did not have time to fully assess to determine if it was safe to play. Ian Rapoport later stated that this was spasms and based on how Thursday’s practice went, this appeared to be the case.
However, is this tied to his preseason injury that caused him to miss two weeks? That’s impossible to say without the team or Oliver telling us. So far, he looks really good moving around and by all accounts, looks ready to go for Sunday.
G Ar’maj Reed-Adams (Right Elbow)
Reed-Adams was a surprise addition to the injury report this week with an elbow designation though its important to note that he has been inactive the last two games. This indicates that he either suffered the injury in practice on Wednesday or sometime before that in practice. Looking through practice photos on Thursday revealed that he was wearing a right elbow brace though it’s not clear if this was present Wednesday as well.
He may end up being another inactive this week due to the roster numbers, but worth watching if he is part of any roster transactions.
ACTIVE
LB Joe Andreessen (Knee)
Andreessen was a new addition to the injury report on Wednesday with a knee designation. He had been dealing with a right quad issue throughout OTA’s and had been wearing a sleeve up until recently. He also did have his left posterior leg taped up last week though it’s not clear if any of this is related to his current issue.
Looking at the video from this week, Andreessen was moving well through practice with a sleeve on his right leg which has been present since mid-May.
LB Terrel Bernard (Knee)
Bernard is one again back on the injury report, this time for a knee designation. He was on the week prior for a left calf issue that kept him limited during the short week but he was able to play without further incident. The fact that he was full this week suggests this was more of a maintenance issue and may be a more proactive approach that Bernard takes rather than playing through everything.
OLB Bradley Chubb (Left Thumb)
This is the second week in a row that Chubb has been on the injury report due to a thumb issue though he has been practicing in full the entire time. He has had no designations nor has he appeared to be affected by the injury.
He showed up in some of the practice pictures with his left thumb heavily taped which suggests this is the side but he should still continue to play through the issue.
RB Ty Johnson (Right Hamstring)
We finally get to see Johnson in action in Week 3 following his extended absence dating back to August 8 when he suffered a right hamstring strain. This was more of a moderate strain as it took him six weeks to get fully back into the field which means had this happened during the regular season, he would have potentially been placed on injured reserve.
His risk to re-injure the hamstring is still there for the rest of the season with literature indicating a 33% risk to re-injure. He will play this weekend which is awesome to see but hopefully he will resume more of his blocking roles and spell Cook when he needs a rest but he’s had enough time off to be ready.
INJURED RESERVE
DB Jordan Hancock (Hamstring)
Hancock was a surprise addition to the injury report this week with a hamstring injury that he appeared to suffer in practice this week. He went from a limited participant to did not participate, which is concerning especially coming off a right quadriceps injury from several weeks ago. It’s not known which side he is dealing with, but my guess is the left side if he’s having to adjust his movement patterns to account for the right side.
The fact that he downgraded wasn’t great for his availability this week and he was ruled out after practice on Friday and then later placed on injured reserve.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS INJURY REPORT
OUT
G Kayode Awosika (Right Fibula)
Awosika picked up a right fibula injury after playing in 73.5 percent of snaps on the offensive line during Sunday’s loss. He was seen in the locker room with a boot and crutches following Wednesday’s practice.
This comes after head coach Jim Harbaugh noted that he would miss some time. They have not placed him on injured reserve, but this is a significant enough injury that he is expected to be out for what sounds like a few weeks. He will be out for Sunday.
TE Charlie Kolar (Left Forearm)
Kolar underwent surgery to repair what appears to be a left forearm fracture after he suffered the injury on Sunday. The team originally announced that he would go on injured reserve along with teammate David Njoku, but after the surgeon put a plate and screws into the forearm, the team thinks that he can return shortly. They do have a bye week in Week 7, which would give Kolar five weeks to get right before returning in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Chargers do have their game plan set, but it also means that Kolar will be out this week.
DB Elijah Molden (Hamstring)
Molden missed last week’s game against the Raiders after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1 late in the game. He was unable to practice all week leading up to Week 2 and continued this trend again with multiple DNP’s and ruled out yet again.
WR Brenen Thompson (Quadriceps)
Thompson was a new addition to the injury report this week with a quadriceps issue after playing in the previous two weeks despite dealing with a hip designtion. Its possible that these two issues are related as the rectus femoris connects at the hip and this muscle assists with extending the leg. However, we don’t have confirmation of what side. Either way, not practicing all week doesn’t bode well for playing Sunday and he had been ruled out.
DL Dalvin Tomlinson (Hamstring)
Tomlinson exited Sunday’s loss with 1:29 left in the third quarter, appearing to aggravate a hamstring injury that he was playing through last week on the injury report. He was unable to return and unable to practice all week. Like Harbaugh mentioned with Awosika, Tomlinson will miss some time. According to the Banged Up Bills injury database, defensive tackles miss 1.6 games for a hamstring which means he won’t be suiting up this week.
G/T Trey Pipkins III (Knee)
Pipkins is still working through a knee injury picked up in Week 1 that forced him to miss last week’s game. He did not practice all last week and this week as he rehabbed and has been ruled out. While he is not a starter, this is experienced depth unavailable should a starter go down.
QUESTIONABLE
QB Trey Lance (Groin)
Lance pooped up with a groin injury on Friday as a limited participant and is officially questionable for the game. Los Angeles Chargers who are limited on Friday’s prior to Sunday play at 51.5 percent of the time according to the Banged Up Bills injury database. Considering his position and the fact that he is a backup, I’d expect he plays knowing that Justin Herbert doesn’t miss much time either.
CB Rodney Shelley (Hamstring)
Shelley appeared to injure his hamstring in practice this week as he was initially limited on Wednesday before downgrading to DNP on Thursday. He had not been on the injury report prior and with a decline in participation, that never looks good for the chances to play Sunday. While he is officially questionable, I don’t anticipate he plays.
ACTIVE
S Derwin James Jr. (Left Fifth Digit Fracture)
James suffered a left pinky fracture sometime during the first half of the game and returned with 5:26 left in the second quarter.
Following the game, he reported that he would play the remainder of the season in a cast in order to be available for his team. While he was unable to practice Wednesday, this was also deemed a rest day for James and he was able to get work in on Thursday and Friday. His play won’t be too drastically affected by the cast, but he may have trouble catching interceptions or tackling if the ball carrier is off to his left. He is still an elite player who will play well with the restriction.
Despite the injury, he is still one of their top defensive players on the field.
DB Deane Leonard (Abdomen)
Leonard was a full participant all this week as he worked through an abdomen injury after missing the first two weeks of the season due to the injury. He was limited last week and questionable before getting ruled out, but appears to be fully healthy this week.
WR Ladd McConkey (Ribs)
McConkey suited up last week and played through a cracked rib he suffered in Week 1 of the regular season. He required an injection along with a flank jacket to protect himself as he had 3 receptions for 35 yards in the loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite practicing in full all week, that rib is still very much cracked and with another shot to the area, that could knock him out of the game even temporarily. He will play but he is still far from 100 percent.
OT Rashawn Slater (Groin)
Slater was a new addition to the injury report this week with a groin designation though this appears to be more of a maintenance issue. He was limited Wednesday before increasing his workload to full Thursday and Friday. The Chargers are already down several offensive lineman, they can’t be down on of their starting offensive tackles.
G Cole Strange (Pectoral)
Strange popped up on the injury report due to a pectoral injury that he appeared to suffer during Sunday’s loss. Its not clear when this injury happened but it was a good sign for the Chargers that he was able to log full practices Thursday and Friday. I do expect him to wear a shoulder harness to protect the area but this may be an area for the Bills to exploit by going to the side of the injury to apply pressure to the quarterback.
OLB Tuli Tuipulotu (Hamstring)
Tuipulotu was limited all week due to his hamstring injury originally suffered last week in Week 2. He saw 70+ percent of snaps each week as a starter. Fortunately, he was able to get a full practice in Friday and has no designation.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
G Ar’Maj Reed-Adams
WR Keon Coleman
DL TJ Sanders
OT Jude Bowry
S Jalen Kilgore
LB Mike Danna
Call Ups: S Geno Stone
Los Angeles Chargers Projected Inactives
G/T Trey Pipkins
DB Elijah Molden
WR Brenen Thompson
DL Dalvin Tomlinson
TE Charlie Kolar
G Kayode Awosika
CB Rodney Shelley
Call Ups: TE Evan Svoboda, CB Kaiir Elam
Final Thoughts
The Bills have a massive advantage injury wise along with the benefit of playing at home hosting a west coast team. However, the Chargers realize what’s on the line and can come in desperate for a win and give the Bills a run for their money if the Bills let them hang around in this game. The line is currently at -7 Bills which is a solid line and may go up as injury information continues to pour in.
This is a game the Bills should win regardless of the line especially because of the recent injuries for the Chargers. Even with some of the Bills players questionable, nothing is long term other than the potential for TJ Sanders but even then, that will get better sooner than later.
I’m not expecting a thrashing but this should be, if they execute their game plan, this game should be in hand by the third quarter. Injuries or sloppy play will allow desperate play from the Chargers to take over and potentially secure their first win of the season.
Make sure to check back often for the latest Bills injury updates.
Top Photo Credit: Tim Warner / Getty Images
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