The Buffalo Bills opened Week 4 with a long injury list, and the biggest names on it were Christian Benford and Keon Coleman.
Benford, who was added to the report after hurting his toe in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, did not practice Wednesday. The starting cornerback left that game and was ruled out, adding another layer of concern for a Buffalo secondary that is already dealing with injuries. Head coach Joe Brady said earlier Wednesday that the team is still evaluating Benford’s availability as the Bills get ready to host the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Coleman was also out of practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury that has been bothering him for two weeks. Even with the issue, the wide receiver played against the Chargers after being limited throughout the practice week before that game.
T.J. Sanders was another absence after undergoing an appendectomy last week, and his timetable remains unclear.
Joe Andreessen sat out with a knee injury as well. Damar Hamlin was limited by a rib injury, while DJ Moore, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, was also limited.
There were some encouraging signs mixed in. Terrel Bernard was a full participant despite a knee injury, Bradley Chubb was full with a thumb injury, Ar'maj Reed-Adams practiced fully with an elbow injury, and Dorian Williams was a full participant with a hip injury. Deone Walker was limited with a quad injury.
The other major issue from Sunday’s game was Josh Allen’s left knee. Allen took a helmet to the knee with 9:46 left in the fourth quarter against the Chargers and was seen grimacing after the hit. He stayed in the game, ran on the next designed play, and later appeared to be favoring the leg after the game.
In Other News...
Bills Get One Big Break Ahead Of Patriots Matchup
The Bills opened Week 4 with their first injury report in good shape at the most important spot, because Josh Allen was not listed as they began preparing for their divisional matchup with the Patriots. Buffalo did have a handful of other names on the report, but getting its starting quarterback off the injury list is the kind of early-week development that immediately steadies the conversation around a team heading into a division game.
New Englands report carried its own share of uncertainty, with several players either not practicing or working in a limited capacity, including Christian Barmore and Christian Gonzalez. For Buffalo, the broader picture is simple enough: the Bills are dealing with some practice limitations of their own, but the biggest concern that usually shapes everything else in a week like this is off the board for now. [Read more 🡒]
Jessica Pegula Just Raised A New Bills Ownership Question
Jessica Pegula has spent the last few years building a profile far beyond Buffalo, and now the idea of where she fits into the Bills future is getting a fresh look. In a CNBC interview, the No. 3-ranked tennis player said she might be interested in helping with the organization after her tennis career, a remark that lands in a family context already shaped by the Pegulas long-running ownership of the team and the broader uncertainty around how the next generation gets involved.
For now, there is no official role for Jessica or any other family member beyond the varying levels of involvement they already have, and the family has also made clear it does not intend to sell the teams it owns despite the soaring valuations. Still, with Kim Pegulas health issues part of the backdrop, the question in Buffalo is not just who owns the Bills, but who will actually be around and ready to help steer them when the time comes. [Read more 🡒]
Bills May Have A Tough James Cook Decision Coming
James Cook has become one of the more interesting long-term pieces on Buffalos roster, not just because of what he does on the field, but because of what comes next. Under contract through the 2029 season, he is still in a comfortable team-controlled window, yet his recent play and the way the running back market has been moving make him a name worth watching well before any real deadline arrives.
His current deal sits 13th among running backs, which is respectable value for the Bills right now, but maybe not for long if the position keeps climbing financially. Buffalo could eventually decide that locking Cook in with an extension is the cleanest way to avoid a bigger decision later, especially if his camp starts looking at the growing salaries around the league and sees room for a raise. [Read more 🡒]