Bills T Spencer Brown, LB Terrel Bernard Could Hit IR
The Bills got roughed up in a Thursday night loss in Houston and could see two starters head to injured reserve, as a result. With just six weeks left in the season, Buffalo could potentially lose right tackle Spencer Brown and linebacker Terrel Bernard for at least four weeks as head coach Sean McDermott disclosed today that IR could be a possibility for both players, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. 
After a night in which the Bills gave up eight sacks, the prospect of losing one of their bookend tackles is a scary one. And while Brown is more well-regarded for his run blocking abilities, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark didn’t fare much better against the Texans’ pass rush as he filled in for Brown last night. Buscaglia noted that Brown was spotted in a sling following the loss in Houston, and Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News provided the update today that Brown’s shoulder injury would require further evaluation.
Based on McDermott’s comments today, the result of the evaluation could end Brown’s season. A placement on IR would require at least a four-week absence, giving Brown a chance to come back in Week 17 at the earliest. If Brown’s shoulder isn’t able to heal in that time, his regular season contributions may be done, and he could be out for a potential postseason run, as well. This would be a first for Brown, who, in his young career, has never had a stint on IR.
Since missing two separate two-week stretches as a rookie, Brown only sat out of four games over the next four seasons. This reliability and run-blocking prowess earned Brown the four-year, $72MM extension he signed before the final year of his rookie contract last year. For whatever time Brown ends up missing, Van Demark will likely step in to start. The fourth-year undrafted UConn alum has three starts for Buffalo in the past two seasons.
Playing through an ankle injury that’s been nagging him over the past five weeks, Bernard hurt his elbow in last night’s game and was described as “week-to-week” by Skurski. The former third-round pick out of Baylor has been a leading tackler for the team over the last three years. After leading the team with 143 in his first year as a full-time starter in 2023, he finished second on the team last year despite missing four games. He’s currently second on the team behind safety Cole Bishop, who’s played one more contest than Bernard.
Luckily for Buffalo, the defense saw veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson return to the field last night after missing three weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury. If Bernard is out for any amount of time, Thompson is a strong candidate to step in amongst starters Matt Milano and Dorian Williams in the front seven.
The team hasn’t resigned to four-week absences for these two starters just yet, though. While an IR placement remains a possibility for both players, there’s a chance both could avoid the lengthy absence. Regardless, despite having a week and half of rest before their next contest, McDermott told reporters that “it doesn’t look great” for Brown and Bernard’s chances of playing in Week 13.
Bills Place WR Mecole Hardman On IR, Promote WR Gabriel Davis From Practice Squad
The Bills are down another offensive weapon. Less than a week after making his Bills debut, Mecole Hardman is heading to injured reserve, according to the team.
The veteran wideout seemed to be trending towards being at least inactive for Thursday Night Football. After getting into seven offensive snaps on Sunday, the receiver didn’t practice this week while nursing a calf injury. Now, that injury will keep him off the field for at least the next month.
After spending the preseason with the Packers, Hardman landed on Green Bay’s practice squad to start the 2025 campaign. He was released after only a few weeks, and he was a free agent until landing with Buffalo’s taxi squad earlier this month. He was quickly activated to the active roster, and he garnered a single target in his team debut.
Besides a brief stop with the Jets, Hardman had spent the majority of his career playing with the Chiefs. After averaging close to 600 receiving yards per season through his first three years in the NFL, Hardman has been limited to only 511 yards since 2022. He hauled in only 12 catches in 12 games with the Chiefs in 2024, although he did serve as the team’s primary punt returner.
The Bills will be digging into their offensive depth tonight against the Texans. Besides Hardman, the team will also be without tight end Dalton Kincaid, receiver Curtis Samuel, and probably wideout Keon Coleman, who is heading towards a second-straight week of sitting on the sideline. As a result, the team has once again elevated Gabe Davis from the practice squad.
The former Bills standout reunited with the team back in September but sat out the first few months as he continued to recover from a torn meniscus and torn PCL. He made his season debut on Sunday, hauling in three catches for 40 yards. He’ll join a receiver corps that also includes Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, and Elijah Moore. With Kincaid out, the Bills have also promoted TE Keleki Latu from the practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/25
Here are the latest practice squad moves around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Andrew Steuber
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Brandon Codrington
Carolina Panthers
- Released: S Israel Mukuamu
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: C Wesley French
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Viliami Fehoko, S George Odum, WR Eli Pancol, DT Chris Wormley
- Released: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, TE Maximilian Mang, CB Troy Pride
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: OT Leroy Watson
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Fabien Lovett Sr.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR John Rhys Plumlee
- Released: S Jack Henderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Velus Jones, WR Brenden Rice
- Released: TE Marshall Lang, CB Mike Reid
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez
- Released: RB Sincere McCormick
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Marcus Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Lance McCutcheon, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Reeves-Maybin, the current NFLPA president, spent most of his career with the Lions but was released this offseason. He worked out with the 49ers in October and now returns to the NFC North with the Bears.
Odum began his NFL career in Indianapolis and is now returning to the Colts after a three-year stint with the 49ers. He will likely provide depth on special teams when elevated from the practice squad.
Kpassagnon, meanwhile, will be looking for his third team this season. He signed in Chicago this offseason to reunite with Dennis Allen, the Bears’ defensive coordinator and Kpassagnon’s former coach in New Orleans. He played 89 snaps across five games in Chicago before he was released. He then signed with the Colts’ practice squad, but did not make any appearances in blue and white.
The Seahawks signed Jones to their practice squad, but he was released the following day in a health-related move, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Rice, the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, will get to play for one of his father’s former teams. Jerry Rice played for the Seahawks during his last season in 2004.
Bills WR Keon Coleman Benched For Today’s Game
It’s no secret that Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman has failed to live up to his draft stock thus far in his young career. A slow rookie campaign with a couple missed games is excusable, but Coleman has noticeably taken a step back in Year 2. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Coleman will not play in today’s game against the Buccaneers. It’s supposedly “not performance-based, though, as Schultz relays it to be “a coach’s decision.” 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided added context for the healthy scratch, citing Coleman’s tardiness to meetings on Friday morning as the reason for his benching. The team had no plans throughout the week of making him inactive but chose an expensive punishment as a result of repeated issues. Per Rapoport, he was benched for a drive against New England earlier this year and benched for a full quarter against Jacksonville last year.
Coleman came to Buffalo with potential and anticipation but not outrageous production. After a quiet true freshman season at Michigan State, Coleman broke out for the Spartans in his second season of play with 58 catches for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. He capitalized on his big year by transferring to Florida State, where, in a quieter passing attack, he led the Seminoles with 50 receptions for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Despite the lack of eye-popping yardage, those 11 scores in garnet and gold underlined his potential as a big-bodied playmaker. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds coming out of college, the physical frame was there, but the speed was lacking. Coleman ran an unencouraging 4.61-second 40-yard dash, but the Bills thought he played much faster than his dash time, as evidenced by his demonstration in the gauntlet drill, in which he achieved the fastest top speed of any receiver that year.
Coleman’s numbers as a second-round rookie (57 catches-556 yards-four touchdowns) were not overly impressive, but that is understandable for a rookie who missed four games. MVP quarterback Josh Allen targeted Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid over a third of the time, while Coleman found residual targets in line with fellow receivers Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel. In Year 2, Allen has made more of an effort to involve Coleman, making him the second most-targeted pass catcher on the team, again behind Shakir, but Coleman has seen his yards per game decrease despite the added attention.
With Coleman out, it will certainly be interesting to see how the Bills make up for Coleman’s absence. After Shakir, Coleman, Kincaid, and running back James Cook, Josh Palmer is the fifth leading receiver with a line of 14-234-0. Elijah Moore (8-115-0) and Tyrell Shavers (7-82-0) are also scoreless, making Samuel (5-62-1) the only member of the receiving corps active for today’s game other than Shakir to score a touchdown this year, and Kincaid has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
We did see yesterday that Buffalo is calling up some interesting reinforcements. The team used its Saturday transactions to sign Mecole Hardman from the practice squad to the active roster while choosing to elevate Gabe Davis and tight end Keleki Latu as standard gameday practice squad elevations.
Davis was a reliable WR2 for Allen behind Stefon Diggs for four years before flaming out in Jacksonville with disappointing production on a three-year, $39MM contract. After only racking up 239 yards in 10 games, Davis’ season ended with a torn meniscus. The combination of concern for his recovery, Brian Thomas Jr.‘s stellar rookie campaign, and the arrival of No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter led the Jaguars to release Davis after his lone year with the team.
It’s to be determined how Hardman — a role player for years in Kansas City — will fit into the new offense or how much Latu — making his NFL debut after going undrafted out of Washington — will be utilized. The bigger mystery, though, concerns the future of Coleman. A healthy scratch will easily be a low point in his young career, and it will be interesting to follow how he responds to this style of coaching given his response alike punishment in the past.
Bills Activate DT T.J. Sanders From IR, Sign WR Mecole Hardman To Active Roster
Knee surgery has left T.J. Sanders unavailable since he last played in Week 4. The second-round rookie is set to return to action tomorrow, however. 
Sanders was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Bills announcement. The move comes as no surprise since his practice window was opened earlier this week. Buffalo now has five IR activations remaining for the regular season.
Injuries along the defensive front have been an issue in 2025 for the Bills. Ed Oliver‘s biceps tear will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, while Michael Hoecht suffered an Achilles tear during just his second appearance of the campaign. Most recently, Landon Jackson has landed on IR and his availability regarding a return late in the year is in question.
Buffalo has allowed an average of nearly 148 yards per game on the ground this season, which ranks 30th in the league. Reinforcements along the defensive interior will be key as the team looks to make needed improvements in that regard. Sanders logged a 49% snap share prior to suffering his injury, and a notable workload should be expected once again as he returns to the lineup.
In other roster news, the Bills have signed Mecole Hardman from the practice squad to the active roster. The veteran wideout recently joined the team via a taxi squad pact and he will see playing time in short order. Hardman will not be expected to handle much in the way of offensive snaps early in his Buffalo tenure, but he could see usage in the return game right away. To make room for him on the roster, Brandon Codrington was waived.
Gabe Davis is also set to make his season debut tomorrow. The veteran receiver returned to Buffalo just before the start of the season before spending a lengthy period on the practice squad IR list. Davis is now healthy and with the team struggling for production at the WR spot, he will look to carve out at least a rotational role as a familiar Josh Allen target.
Dalton Kincaid will not play against the Buccaneers on Sunday. Depth at that position will come in the form of Keleki Latu, who joins Davis as a gameday elevation from the practice squad. Latu will make his NFL debut if he dresses tomorrow.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Morgan Fox
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Michael Bandy, DE Garrett Nelson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Layne Pryor, S K’Von Wallace
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: S Darrick Forrest
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Michael Reid, DT Bubba Thomas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OLB Benton Whitley
Wallace was one of three defensive backs to work out in Houston today alongside nickelback Beanie Bishop and safety Brandon Hill. Though Bishop showed promise in parts of his rookie campaign last year, Wallace boasts the most experience of the three and has been added to the fold as the Texans attempt to make up for the absences of M.J. Stewart and Jalen Pitre.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/12/25
Here are today’s midweek NFL minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived (with injury settlement): P Cameron Johnston
Cleveland Browns
- Signed from practice squad: WR Kaden Davis
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: LB Garret Wallow
Houston Texans
- Signed from practice squad: CB Myles Bryant
- Designated for return from IR: TE Cade Stover
- Placed on IR: S M.J. Stewart (story)
Johnston’s injuries have seemingly led to him looking for a new team yet again, assuming he clears waivers. The veteran punter signed with Pittsburgh last year, following two three-year stints in Philadelphia and Houston. In his first game as a Steeler, though, Johnston suffered a season-ending knee injury on his kicking leg. He’d been given a chance to win the job back from Corliss Waitman, who had filled in during his absence, but lost the job and a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster.
Rebounding quickly, Johnston signed with the Bills after they made a quick decision to move on from Brad Robbins following their season opener. Johnston got through three games with his new team before suffered an injury on his planting foot that would lead him to injured reserve. Now, the veteran heads to the waiver wire before he’ll have the ability to shop himself out for new opportunities.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Ben Stille
- Released: OL Raiqwon O’Neal, LS Zach Triner
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DE Kingsley Jonathan, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Mike White
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE K.J. Henry, DE Ochaun Mathis
- Released: DT Simeon Barrow Jr.
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: OL Jack Conley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Peter Bowden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Nick Muse
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Shemar Bartholomew
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: WR Brenden Rice
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Zach Davidson, K Ben Sauls
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Tre Brown
- Released: DB J.T. Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Desmond Watson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
The Panthers waived White from their practice squad on Nov. 8, but the team quickly brought the veteran signal-caller back. White will continue to provide experienced depth behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He served as the Panthers’ emergency third QB in their Week 9 win over the Packers.
Bills Place Landon Jackson On IR, Open T.J. Sanders’ Practice Window
Bills rookie defensive end Landon Jackson tore his MCL and PCL in the first quarter of a 30-13 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Buffalo placed Jackson on injured reserve on Tuesday. Jackson is expected to make a full recovery, per Schultz, but he’s facing an extended absence.
Jackson is now the fourth member of the Bills’ nine-player 2025 draft class to land on IR. First-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston, second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, and sixth-round corner Dorian Strong have all been shelved with various injuries this year.
Strong is out for the foreseeable future with a neck issue, but Hairston made his debut in Week 8. Sanders, who has missed five straight games after undergoing knee surgery, could rejoin the Bills’ defense soon. They opened his 21-day practice window on Tuesday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reports.
The Bills used a third-rounder on Jackson after a productive run at Arkansas, but they’ve gotten little from that investment so far. The team has made Jackson a healthy inactive in six of its nine games. In the three contests Jackson has played, the 22-year-old has combined for a mere 30 defensive snaps.
The Bills plugged Jackson in against the Dolphins a week after losing Michael Hoecht for the rest of the season with an Achilles tear. They also were without A.J. Epenesa in Miami because of a concussion. If Epenesa returns this week against the Buccaneers, he’ll rejoin a group of ends consisting of Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, and Javon Solomon.
While Jackson may be done for the year, a potential Sanders return would add another option to a depleted defensive line. The Bills traded up to draft Sanders 41st overall. The former South Carolina Gamecock got off to a slow start during the first four games of his career, however, recording two tackles.
Ed Oliver, the Bills’ most effective D-tackle, will not return during the regular season after suffering a torn biceps in Week 8. With him and Sanders on IR, DaQuan Jones, fourth-round rookie Deone Walker, Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis represent the team’s healthy DT options. The injury issues have contributed to the Bills’ woes against the run. They rank 30th in the league in rushing yards per game allowed.
Scouring the open market for help, the Bills tried out free agent defensive lineman Morgan Fox on Tuesday, Getzenberg relays. Fox has gone unsigned since the Falcons released him in August, which came as a surprise after he signed a two-year deal with them in March. A former Ram, Panther, and Charger, Fox was teammates with Bosa from 2022-24. Although Fox missed the 2018 campaign with an ACL tear, he went on to appear in 100 straight regular-season games after that. The 31-year-old has racked up 27.5 sacks, including 3.5 in 2024.
Along with their injury troubles on defense, the Bills may go without an important part of their offense, tight end Dalton Kincaid, for a sizable chunk of time. Kincaid suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday, and head coach Sean McDermott said he’s now considered week-to-week (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
A former first-round pick from Utah, Kincaid has hauled in 29 of 36 targets for 448 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in his third NFL season. Fellow tight ends Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes, a rookie fifth-rounder, have gotten even more offensive snaps than Kincaid this year. They’ll continue to log significant playing time down the stretch, but losing Kincaid is a major blow for an offense that lacks dependable pass catchers.
Bills Staying With OC Joe Brady; Brian Daboll Reunion Not Under Consideration
Bills head coach Sean McDermott has worked with four different offensive coordinators since taking the reins in 2017. He’s not ready to move on to a fifth. McDermott said Monday that Joe Brady will remain the team’s offensive coordinator, per Andrew Siciliano.
Questions about Brady’s status came after one of McDermott’s former O-coordinators, Brian Daboll, lost his head coaching job with the Giants on Monday. That could make him a fit to return to Buffalo’s offensive staff in some capacity, but McDermott shot down the possibility.
“That’s not under any kind of consideration,” McDermott said when asked about a potential reunion with Daboll.
Daboll, who attended high school outside of Buffalo and went to college in nearby Rochester, was the Bills’ O-coordinator from 2018-21. He’s often credited with aiding in the development of quarterback Josh Allen, a high-risk first-round pick in 2018 who has evolved into an elite signal-caller.
The Allen era got off to a slow start, but the Bills’ Daboll-coached offense finished top five in both points and yards in 2020 and ’21. Daboll then left for the Giants, with whom he went 20-40-1 over three-plus seasons.
With Daboll on his way to the Giants, the Bills promoted passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey as his replacement. They rolled out a stellar offense again in Year 1 under Dorsey, but they fired him in November 2023. Although the Bills ranked a respectable eighth in points and yards at the time, they were coming off two straight losses and sporting a mediocre 5-5 record. In McDermott’s estimation, that was enough to ax Dorsey.
The Bills handed the offensive keys to Brady, then their QBs coach, on an interim basis. The move sparked a 6-1 finish and a third straight AFC East title, and the offense improved to fourth in yards and sixth in points. Brady earned a full-time promotion as a result. While the Bills fell to 10th in yards last year, the first season of the post-Stefon Diggs era, they scored the second-most points in the league. Allen took home MVP honors.
Brady’s performance in 2024 was enough for him to earn head coaching consideration last winter. New Orleans was among the interested teams, but with the Saints having the last opening remaining in late January, Brady bowed out of the race and stayed in Buffalo.
The 36-year-old Brady is again in control of an offense that has been a resounding statistical success this season. The Bills sit second in the league in yards and sixth in points, though inquiries about his job security come on the heels of a brutal loss to the Dolphins in Week 10.
The Bills dropped to 6-3 in a 30-13 romp in Miami on Sunday. A Dolphins defense depleted by injuries and the trade of Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles held the Bills scoreless over the first three quarters of the game. The Bills committed three costly turnovers on the Dolphins’ side of the field, including an end zone interception by Allen.
It was apparent yet again that the Bills are lacking at wide receiver. General manager Brandon Beane didn’t make a trade to address the issue before the Nov. 4 deadline, but he reportedly attempted to acquire Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle. He stayed put and wound up burning the Bills for five catches, 84 yards, and a touchdown on Sunday.
After a dismal all-around showing in Miami, the Bills will face a stiffer test at home against the NFC South-leading Buccaneers in Week 11. Brady will remain in charge of the offense as the Bills aim for a bounce-back effort.