The Buffalo Bills got a scare on Saturday night when two offensive players went down during the team’s “Return of the Red and Blue” practice, and the one that matters most to the bigger picture was center Connor McGovern.
Running back Ty Johnson also left injured, but McGovern is the name that changes the conversation. He’s the center of the offensive line, and if his injury lingers into the regular season or playoffs, Buffalo would have a real problem on its hands. Since moving from guard to center in 2024, McGovern has been excellent, which helps explain why the Bills extended him this offseason.
There’s still no clear read on the severity of the injury, and McGovern likely wasn’t going to see much, if any, preseason action anyway. Even so, with Week 1 a little more than a month away, any issue involving a linchpin like him gets your attention fast.
That’s why the focus now shifts to what comes next behind him. Buffalo’s center group includes Lloyd Cushenberry and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, giving the Bills two options if McGovern needs time. Cushenberry arrived this offseason after starting at center for both the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, while Van Pran-Granger was a 2024 fifth-round pick out of Georgia.
Cushenberry’s career has had its moments, but his run in Tennessee last year, along with a new coaching staff, led to his release. Van Pran-Granger, meanwhile, was known as a strong pass protector in college, but he hasn’t had much of a chance to show that in the pros because McGovern has been in front of him.
Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. offered a calm assessment of the situation on Monday. Per Andy Young of Spectrum New 1, Carmichael Jr. said, “We feel pretty good about where we’re at.”
That confidence will get tested in the preseason, where the backup battle matters more than the starting lineup. McGovern was never expected to be a major preseason piece, but now Cushenberry and Van Pran-Granger should both get real run at center.
The stakes are straightforward: this isn’t just about winning the backup job. It’s about proving one of them deserves a roster spot. Van Pran-Granger has the edge of still being on his rookie deal for two more years, but if Cushenberry makes a strong push for the backup role, the Bills could have an interesting decision when cuts arrive.
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