The Bills took a hit in their Week 5 win over the Rams when Spencer Brown had to leave with a back injury, but the early signs point to relief rather than panic.
Brown exited after hurting his back, and Tylan Grable took over at right tackle. Brown was able to get off the field on his own before eventually being ruled out for the rest of the game, while Grable settled in and gave Buffalo a steady night overall. He was flagged for holding, but his work in both pass protection and run blocking was solid enough to keep the line moving.
That matters because when Buffalo has its starting five intact, this is one of the league’s best offensive lines, and Brown is a big part of that.
The encouraging update came from Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, who reported that Brown said his MRI “came back clean,” and that “the plan right now is that he's going to try and play Sunday vs. the Raiders.”
Bills RT Spencer Brown told me that the MRI came back clean and that the plan right now is that he’s going to try to play Sunday vs. the Raiders.
- Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) October 14, 2026
Brown’s injury history makes the update even more important. Early in his career, a back issue was part of what held back his production, and his first two seasons were marked by uneven play. Then in 2023, he broke through and played like one of the best offensive linemen in the league.
Before the 2024 season, Buffalo rewarded him with a four-year, $72 million contract to lock down the right tackle spot for the future. Since then, he has continued to play well, with much of that growth tied to the coaching of Aaron Kromer.
If Brown is cleared for Sunday in Las Vegas, Buffalo will have all five starters back on the offensive line. That would be especially valuable with Maxx Crosby waiting on the other side, because the Bills will need Brown to help keep Crosby from wrecking the game plan.
If Brown can’t go, Grable would step back in, and Buffalo may have to get a little more creative in how it attacks away from Crosby.
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The intrigue is whether the Raiders can keep Buffalo from turning the afternoon into a familiar Allen-led grind, because the Bills have been living with a few self-inflicted issues even while the results keep coming. Las Vegas has enough on paper to make the game interesting on both sides of the ball, but the bigger question for Buffalo is whether its offense can keep separating when the margins tighten and the game starts asking for answers rather than projections. [Read more 🡒]