Week 17 Injury Report (2023): Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

The Buffalo Bills are 9-6 after squeaking out a victory over the LA Chargers last week. As for injuries, the team is improving rapidly with two players coming off Injured Reserve (IR) this week. CB Kaiir Elam was added to the 53-man roster earlier this week, and it was reported yesterday that DT DaQuan Jones will be activated as well.

The Bills have not ruled any players out this week but have listed four as questionable.

Friday injury report pic.twitter.com/d1W1zcZVMV

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) December 29, 2023

It is notable that the team labeled Jones as questionable for Sunday, but he is anticipated to play.

Bills DT DaQuan Jones will play Sunday against Patriots, Sean McDermott tells us on @ExtraPointWGR

— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) December 29, 2023

Notable players still on IR for Buffalo are CB Tre’Davious White, LB Matt Milano, RB Damien Harris, DT Jordan Phillips, and WR Justin Shorter.

As for the New England Patriots, they are missing plenty of players. Their notable players on IR include: WR Kendrick Bourne, OT Riley Reiff, OG Cole Strange, CB J.C. Jackson, CB Christian Gonzalez, OLB Matt Judon, CB Marcus Jones, and RB Rhamondre Stevenson. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is OUT for Sunday. SS Kyle Dugger and LB Anfernee Jennings are listed as questionable.

QUESTIONABLE

DE AJ Epenesa

Epenesa injured his ‘ribs’ when he was tackled on his INT during the Chiefs’ game. 

AJ Epenesa : No tackles & an INT pic.twitter.com/wanVqsYKXB

— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) December 11, 2023

He is dealing with an injury to the rib cartilage. An injury of this nature carries a 2-4 week recovery and will require a protective device (1). Epenesa was limited in practice the past two weeks but was able to log as a full participant on Friday. I think he will be active this week, but he does carry risk of aggravation.

DT DaQuan Jones

Jones had his 21-day practice window opened last week. He fully participated in practice this week and will play Sunday for the first time since suffering a pectoral tear and surgical repair after Week 5.

Lately, the average return to play has been about five months (2). However, there are a handful of cases of players returning in three months. DaQuan is about 11 weeks post-surgery, which is an amazingly fast recovery for a defensive lineman. There should be modest expectation for his initial return to play.

S Damar Hamlin

Hamlin took a blow to his right ‘shoulder’ on punt protection in the second quarter of the Chargers game. He shook his arm out instantly and briefly exited the game. Later in the game, he returned with a visible harness/support on his shoulder. He may have sustained a shoulder subluxation due to the mechanism and harness used thereafter. He was limited in practice all week, and wore a non-contact jersey as late as Thursday. While Micah Hyde and Ty Johnson were reported to be out of their non-contact jerseys on Friday, Damar was not mentioned. Clarification would be great, but he might have still been wearing it. If so, he will likely be out for this week.

Did not see RB Leonard Fournette or WR Stefon Diggs during the brief portion of practice open to the media on Friday.

DE Shaq Lawson (illness) back participating.

S Micah Hyde (stinger) and RB Ty Johnson (shoulder) both in normal practice jerseys.

— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) December 29, 2023

WR Justin Shorter

Shorter has been on the IR since the preseason for a ‘hamstring’. It never appeared he suffered an injury in the last preseason game and appeared to be a redshirt stash due to his hamstring history in college. The team opened his 21-day practice window two weeks ago and he is unlikely to be activated. This would revert him back to the IR for the rest of the season.

ALSO LISTED 

S Micah Hyde

Micah exited the Chiefs game with a “neck stinger” and missed Buffalo’s last two games. This is the same injury he suffered against the Bengals in Week 9. He also exited that game and did not play the following week.

Micah Hyde another series of stingers last week. Will be our Week 15 against Cowboys. Unsure if he will return this year – big risk #BillsMafia @BfloFanatics pic.twitter.com/6L18wbdRLA

— Thigh Doctor (@ThighDoctor) December 16, 2023

This is a significant injury for Hyde because of his recent neck history. Although not confirmed, Hyde likely underwent an Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion (ACDF) last year.

A player returning to a contact sport runs a risk returning from these types of injuries. Usually, once they suffer a new stinger or severe neck ailment, it’s game over. Hyde has already had two stingers this year and is continuing to finish out the year. He will be active this week and it is worrying.

LB Terrel Bernard

Bernard had a scary moment early in the Chargers game when he went down with a non-contact ‘ankle’ injury. He had his foot caught up in the turf but was able to return to the game. After being limited for most of the week in practice, he finished a full participant on Friday. This is likely a minor sprain.

DE Leonard Floyd

Floyd was listed with a ‘wrist’ injury starting three weeks ago. Now, he is also dealing with a ‘rib’ injury since the Cowboys game. This is likely similar to Epenesa’s injury, but to a lesser degree. Floyd logged only 40% of the snaps last week, after averaging about 55% on the season previously.

RB Ty Johnson

Johnson suffered a ‘shoulder’ injury in the second quarter of the Cowboys game. He looked to be in serious pain as he couldn’t move his right arm much, but he was able to return to the game. The mechanism was more ‘AC joint’ than ‘stinger’, and this was confirmed with him being listed with a shoulder on the injury report.

He missed the Chargers game last week and was limited early this week in practice. He was out of his non-contact jersey on Friday though and will play this week.

DB Cam Lewis

Lewis has been listed with a ‘thumb’ injury this week but should be OK as he was a full participant all week. He is likely dealing with a minor sprain.

LB Dorian Williams

Williams has popped up several times this year with a ‘knee’ ailment and has once again this week. He is likely dealing with a lingering issue, but was able fully participate in practice all week. 

DE Shaq Lawson

Shaq missed Thursday’s practice with an ‘illness’, but returned Friday.

LS Reid Ferguson

Ferguson was a full participant all week but has been dealing with a ‘right thumb’ injury the past two weeks. 

Citations

1. McAdams TR, Deimel JF, Ferguson J, Beamer BS, Beaulieu CF. Chondral Rib Fractures in Professional American Football: Two Cases and Current Practice Patterns Among NFL Team Physicians. Orthop J Sports Med. 2016 Feb 9; 4(2): 2325967115627623. doi: 10.1177/2325967115627623. PMID: 26925425; PMCID: PMC4753355.
2. Wise PM, Ptasinski AM, Gallo RA. Pectoralis Major Ruptures in the National Football League: Incidence, RTP, and Performance Analysis. Orthop J Sports Med. 2021 Jun 29; 9(6): 23259671211018707. doi: 10.1177/23259671211018707. PMID: 34262984; PMCID: PMC8252349.

Featured Image Credit: AP Photo/Duane Burleson