The Bills opened training camp with one player sidelined on the active/PUP list and a pair of linebackers working on a limited basis, while Michael Hoecht got back into team drills on Day 1 at St. John Fisher University.
Tyrell Shavers was the lone Buffalo player to miss the first practice. He’s on the active/PUP list as he works back from the torn ACL he suffered in January 2026 during Buffalo’s playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before practice, head coach Joe Brady made it clear Shavers would be the only player out.
"Tyrell Shavers is PUP so he's the only one that won't be out there today," head coach Joe Brady said before practice. "There will be some guys that will be on a limited rep count."
General manager Brandon Beane said Shavers has earned praise for the way he has handled his rehab, but he also said the receiver is not on track to be ready when the regular season begins.
"I wouldn't project him to be able to start the season," Beane said. "We'll just keep ramping him up and when he's ready to go we'll see if we can get him out there."
There were no Bills players on the NFI list.
At linebacker, Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams were both managed carefully. Bernard did not take part in team drills as he continues to come back from the right ankle procedure he had in March. Beane said the team is easing him in the right way.
"He's fine," Beane said. "We're just trying to ramp him up properly and make sure he's good to go. You guys will see him over the next week or so gradually go all the way back into doing that."
Williams practiced, but the Bills held him out of portions of team work while he continues his return from the neck injury he suffered in last season’s playoffs. Beane said his progression is similar to Bernard’s.
The biggest positive on the first day came with Hoecht, who returned to team drills after tearing his Achilles last November. Brady said the veteran was ready to go, even if the staff has to keep him from doing too much.
"He's another one of those guys," Brady said. "He's going to be out there today taking team reps.
He did an incredible job in his rehab. Some of it is holding him back from himself."
Beane echoed that point, saying Hoecht wants every rep he can get.
"Mike's one of those guys you've got to hold him back," Beane said. "He would practice every rep today if he could."
No new injuries were reported after practice.
In Other News...
Bills Camp Battle Could Decide More Than One Linebacker Job
Training camp is opening with Buffalos linebacker room carrying more intrigue than usual, and the inside spot next to Terrel Bernard looks like one of the first real tests on the roster. Kaleb Elarms-Orr and Dorian Williams are in the mix there, while the outside jobs are expected to belong to Gregory Rousseau and Joey Bosa, giving the Bills a veteran edge on the perimeter even as the middle stays unsettled.
Bernards health hangs over the whole group, because any hiccup there could force the Bills to rethink more than just one position. If the plan starts to wobble, Buffalo has a few short-term answers it can explore, and the depth chart behind the starters already has names like Joe Andreessen, Keonta Jenkins and others waiting for their chance to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Camp Tension Is Already Building Around C.J. Gardner-Johnson
C.J. Gardner-Johnson has barely settled into his first Bills camp, and already the conversation around him is turning into a side story. The veteran defensive back was seen live streaming on Twitch, prompting head coach Joe Brady to remind him to be mindful about where he does it, a small moment that quickly became part of the early tone around his arrival in Buffalo.
Gardner-Johnson has pushed back on any idea that he is becoming a distraction, and he has also tried to frame the chatter around his reputation in a broader way. Still, the scrutiny has only grown, with Sports Illustrated insider Alex Brasky taking aim on social media and Gardner-Johnson continuing to defend the way he carries himself by pointing to the success of the teams he has played for. [Read more 🡒]
Why Bills Fans Should Be Wary Of The Justin Herbert Buzz
Justin Herberts engagement to pop star Madison Beer adds another layer of attention around a quarterback who already draws plenty of it, and the timing naturally invites comparisons to other passers who entered a season with major off-field news hanging over them. For Bills fans, the broader football angle matters more than the celebrity headline: Herbert is still one of the leagues most talented arms, and the conversation around him has shifted this offseason because of the new structure around his offense.
There is also a reason this buzz is being taken seriously beyond the tabloid sheen. Herbert now has a new offensive coordinator and, on paper, a setup that could help him take another step if the system clicks right away. The question for Buffalo observers is the same one that follows any AFC quarterback with this kind of upside and a fresh start around him: whether the attention stays a sideshow, or whether it ends up being part of a bigger leap. [Read more 🡒]