ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills are facing the possibility of entering the regular season with a growing list of injured players. The latest to join the list are receivers Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, safety Damar Hamlin, and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Coach Sean McDermott announced on Monday that all four players are considered week-to-week. He did not elaborate on which players might be at risk of missing the season opener against Arizona on September 8.
Samuel is sidelined with a turf toe injury and Hamlin is out with a hamstring injury, both sustained last week. Valdes-Scantling (neck) and Trubisky (knee) were injured during a 9-3 preseason win against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
These injuries impact key players for the four-time AFC East champions, who are already integrating numerous new starters following an offseason overhaul due to salary cap constraints. Buffalo began training camp with 43 new players, leaving just 11 from the 2020 roster.
Additionally, starting linebacker Matt Milano is expected to miss at least the first few months of the season due to a torn left bicep sustained in practice last week.
Concerned about the high number of injuries, McDermott has decided to rest all projected starters for the preseason finale against Carolina on Saturday and will reduce practice time this week. “It’s a challenge, but we’ll find our way through it,” McDermott said. “Right now, we’ve got to be solution-oriented.”
Samuel and Valdes-Scantling were key offseason acquisitions intended to revamp Buffalo Bills receiving corps after the team traded Stefon Diggs to Houston and lost Gabe Davis to free agency. This group also included Chase Claypool, who was released following an injury settlement after missing most of training camp with a toe issue.
Trubisky’s injury means the Buffalo Bills are seeking a quarterback for the second consecutive week, this time to be Josh Allen’s primary backup. Last week, the Bills signed Ben DiNucci as the third-string quarterback after Shane Buechele injured his neck in a preseason loss to Chicago.
Hamlin was vying for a starting role in a position already thin due to injuries, with veteran free agent addition Mike Edwards (hamstring) and rookie second-round pick Cole Bishop (shoulder) both missing much of training camp. McDermott indicated that Edwards and Bishop are expected to ease back into practice this week.
Veteran linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, is also expected to resume practicing.
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