The Buffalo Bills are heading into the regular season with an increasing number of injured players, including receivers Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, safety Damar Hamlin, and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
On Monday, Coach Sean McDermott said all four players are considered week to week. McDermott didn’t specify which players might miss the season opener against Arizona on Sept. 8, but he expressed concern that some could be at risk.
Samuel is out with a turf toe injury, and Hamlin is sidelined with a hamstring injury, both of which happened last week. Valdes-Scantling (neck) and Trubisky (knee) were hurt during a 9-3 preseason win against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
These injuries impact important players for the four-time defending AFC East champions, who are already dealing with several new starters due to a salary cap-related overhaul. Buffalo began training camp with 43 new players and only 11 from the 2020 season.
Adding to the challenges, starting linebacker Matt Milano is expected to miss at least the first few months of the season after tearing his left bicep in practice last week.
McDermott is so concerned about the injuries that he has decided to rest all of his projected starters for the Bills’ preseason finale against Carolina on Saturday and will also reduce practice time this week.
“It’s a challenge, but we’ll find our way through it,” McDermott said. “Right now, we’ve got to be solution-oriented.”
Samuel and Valdes-Scantling were veteran free agent additions meant to strengthen Buffalo’s receiving group after the Bills traded their top receiver, Stefon Diggs, to Houston and lost No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis in free agency.
This group also included Chase Claypool, who was released after reaching an injury settlement last week, having missed most of training camp with a toe injury.
