Bills Injury Nightmare Deepens – 19 Players Sidelined as Season Hangs in the Balance

Even warmups weren’t safe for the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones injured his calf during pregame warmups. And unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

By the end of the night, five more players had left the game with injuries, not including quarterback Josh Allen, who grimaced and held his left arm after taking a sack in the second quarter.

The Bills limped to the finish line in a 24–14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Buffalo now enters its bye week at 4–2, after an opening stretch that has brutally tested the team’s depth across all three phases of the roster.

Players on Injured Reserve or Ruled Out Before the Game

LB Matt Milano (pectoral) – Missed his third game of the season after re-aggravating a pectoral injury in Week 5. Head coach Sean McDermott called him “week to week.” Milano has missed 28 games since 2023.
TE Dalton Kincaid (oblique) – Inactive for Week 6 after testing his injury in pregame warmups. Kincaid was coming off a career-high
108 yards receiving in Week 5 and leads the team with 287 yards and 3 TDs.
WR Curtis Samuel (neck/ribs) – Missed Week 6. Between injuries and scratches, he’s played just two games this year (3 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD).
S Damar Hamlin (pectoral) – Injured in practice Oct. 9 and placed on IR. Eligible to return Week 11, though McDermott says it’s “up in the air” if he’ll be back this season.
DT T.J. Sanders (knee) – Placed on IR after suffering a knee injury in practice Oct. 1 that required surgery. The rookie could return in Week 11.
K Tyler Bass (left hip/groin) – On IR since Sept. 5 after missing most of training camp and two preseason games. Eligible to return in Week 5.
CB Maxwell Hairston (knee) – Rookie first-rounder suffered an LCL sprain July 29; eligible to return in Week 5.
DT DeWayne Carter (Achilles) – Tore his Achilles before Week 1; out for the season.
OL Tylan Grable (concussion) – Entered concussion protocol Aug. 7.
P Cameron Johnston (foot/ankle) – Suffered left leg injuries in Week 4 after being hit on a punt; eligible to return Week 9.
CB Dorian Strong (neck) – Rookie sixth-rounder played four games before a neck injury landed him on IR Oct. 4; eligible to return Week 10.
S Wande Owens (undisclosed) – Waived Aug. 23 with injury designation.

(* denotes player currently on IR)*

Injuries During Warmups Before Monday’s Game

DT DaQuan Jones (calf) – Hurt during pregame warmups and ruled out before kickoff. Seen leaving the locker room in a walking boot postgame.

Injuries During Monday Night Football in Week 6

WR Joshua Palmer (ankle) – Left after being dragged down on a hip-drop tackle in the second quarter; did not return.
CB Christian Benford (Achilles) – Suffered a non-contact injury in the second quarter but returned in the second half.
LB Terrel Bernard (ankle) – Rolled his ankle in a pileup and did not re-enter the game.
QB Josh Allen (left hand/wrist) – Shook his left hand in pain after a sack but did not miss any plays. Later told reporters,
“I’m fine. I’m completely healthy.”
C Connor McGovern (leg) – Kicked in the left leg in the second quarter, missed one play, then returned. Allen was sacked for a 15-yard loss on that lone snap.
S Cole Bishop (cramping) – Left briefly in the second half and returned with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter.

Buffalo’s injury list continues to grow at an alarming rate, leaving the team dangerously thin across multiple positions. The Bills will desperately need the bye week to regroup, heal, and hopefully return some key contributors ahead of their Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Former All-Pro WR Visiting Steelers on Wednesday — Hours After Titans Grant His Release

Pittsburgh, PA – October 21, 2025 — In a dramatic twist to the 2025 NFL season, All-Pro wide receiver Tyler Lockett — a Seattle Seahawks legend with 9,000+ receiving yards and 55 touchdowns — is set to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday (Oct. 22), just hours after officially becoming a free agent. The Tennessee Titans accepted Lockett’s request for release on Monday (Oct. 20), clearing the way for the former Pro Bowler to chase a new Super Bowl run. With a strong personal connection to former teammate D.K. Metcalf (now in Pittsburgh), the visit is igniting optimism for a Black and Gold offense hungry for depth.

Lockett, 33, signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Titans in April 2025 but requested a departure after a quiet start (10 receptions, 70 yards across seven games, one start, no touchdowns). With Tennessee struggling on offense under rookie QB Cam Ward, the Titans agreed to the release, absorbing a dead-cap hit to move on. Lockett becomes eligible to sign after 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and Pittsburgh is his first scheduled stop.

Veteran WR Tyler Lockett has asked for and received his release from the Tennessee Titans, per source. Lockett is expected to be free to sign with another team after 4 pm ET Wednesday.
pic.twitter.com/GpDxmoOe3U — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 20, 2025

Per multiple outlets, the Steelers — currently 22nd in passing yards and seeking a steady complement to Metcalf (500+ yards already this year) — view Lockett as a “perfect fit.” Across 10 seasons in Seattle (3x Second-Team All-Pro; 1x First-Team All-Pro as a punt returner), he brings elite route-running, contested-catch skill, and veteran leadership for youngsters like Roman Wilson. Head coach Mike Tomlin is expected to host a private workout at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon, where Lockett may reunite on-field with Metcalf — a duo that combined for over 2,000 yards in 2023.

Lockett has said he wants “one to two more years to chase a ring.” Armed with business acumen from Kansas State and a robust philanthropic profile, he’s not just chasing numbers — he’s chasing impact. Wednesday’s visit isn’t just a workout; it’s a chance to reignite the spark from his All-Pro peak (1,054 yards, 10 TDs in 2020). Should he sign, a Week 8 debut against the Jets is on the table, instantly raising the floor — and ceiling — of Pittsburgh’s passing attack in the AFC North.

From third-round “steal” in 2015 to this week’s hottest free agent, Lockett’s story is persistence personified. Is Pittsburgh the final chapter? We’ll find out Wednesday — when one star could light up the Steel City again.