Buffalo got a scare Saturday night when Ty Johnson went down during the Return of the Blue & Red practice and had to leave with trainers after grabbing his right knee.
The Bills running back was in a 1-on-1 drill against linebacker Joe Andreessen when he tried to cut toward the right sideline. Johnson reached top speed, fell in full sprint and was clearly hurting as soon as he hit the ground. Training staff helped him off the field, then escorted him back to the locker room.
It came at a time when the injury list is starting to grow after Buffalo opened camp on a relatively clean note. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston has sat out the last two practices, and defensive tackle Zane Durant was also out Saturday after leaving Friday’s practice with trainers.
Johnson is entering his fourth season with the Bills and sits third on the running back depth chart behind James Cook and Ray Davis. His biggest value has come as a receiver out of the backfield; he caught 24 passes in 2025, the most he’s had in a season with Buffalo.
This isn’t Johnson’s first run-in with injury, either. He missed both of the Bills’ playoff games last season after hurting his ankle in the regular-season finale against the New York Jets.
If this latest issue keeps him out for any length of time, it could create an opening for Frank Gore Jr. and newcomer Ian Wheeler to compete for a roster spot once the preseason starts.
In Other News...
Skyler Bell Is Giving Bills Fans A New Receiver Debate
Skyler Bell arrived in Buffalo with a rsum that already suggested he could force his way into the conversation. The fourth-round pick had a strong college run at UConn, capped by a 2025 season in which he led Division I Independent schools in receptions, yards and touchdowns, and he also helped himself with a solid showing of athleticism at the NFL Combine. For a Bills team always sorting out the back end of its receiver depth chart, that made him an interesting name before camp even opened.
Training camp has only sharpened the discussion. Bell has shown enough promise to make fans take notice in a crowded wide receiver room, and there is real intrigue around whether he can carve out a role early. The question hanging over him now is the same one that tends to follow young receivers in Buffalo: the talent is visible, but the drops have been a recurring issue, and those are the kinds of details that can decide whether a player becomes part of the rotation or just another camp storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Keeps A Bills Summer Tradition Going At New Highmark
The Bills annual Return of the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium came with a fresh look this year, as the team introduced its new gray Nickel City alternate uniforms to a crowd getting its first real glimpse of the set. Josh Allen was front and center in the full gray uniform, paired with the metallic royal blue Charge helmet, keeping alive a summer habit he has made his own each time the team stages this showcase.
It was a broad uniform debut, with quarterbacks, punters and kickers wearing the gray alternates while other offensive and defensive players stayed in blue and white practice jerseys. For Buffalo, the scene was as much about the start of another seasons storylines as it was about the new threads, and Allen once again helped set the tone by turning a routine camp event into something the fan base will remember. [Read more 🡒]