ORCHARD PARK, NY — The Buffalo Bills are entering the regular season with a growing number of injured players, including receivers Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, safety Damar Hamlin and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Coach Sean McDermott listed all four players as week-to-week out on Monday. McDermott declined to specify which players were out because he fears some could miss the season opener against Arizona on Sept. 8.
Samuel is out with a big toe injury and Hamlin with a hamstring injury, both suffered last week. Valdes-Scantling (neck) and Trubisky (knee) were injured Saturday in a 9-3 preseason win at Pittsburgh.
The injuries affect key players for the four-time defending AFC East champions, who had already worked in a number of new starters at numerous positions following an offseason restructuring forced by the salary cap. Buffalo began training camp with 43 new signees and only 11 players from 2020.
And the injuries come shortly after starting linebacker Matt Milano is expected to miss at least the first few months of the season after tearing his left biceps during practice last week.
McDermott has expressed such concern about the string of injuries that he has already decided to bench all of Buffalo’s expected starters for its final preseason game against Carolina on Saturday, while also reducing his practice time this week.
“It’s a challenge, but we will overcome it,” said McDermott. “Now we have to be solution-oriented.”
Samuel and Valdes-Scantling were veteran offseason additions who were added as free agents to Buffalo’s new receiver group after the Bills traded their top player, Stefon Diggs, to Houston and lost sophomore receiver Gabe Davis as a free agent. That group also included Chase Claypool, who was released last week after an injury settlement and missed most of training camp with a toe injury.
Trubisky’s injury means Buffalo is searching for a quarterback for the second week in a row – but this time it will be Josh Allen’s primary backup. Last week, the Bills signed Ben DiNucci as a backup after Shane Buechele injured his neck in a season-opening loss to Chicago.
Hamlin (Pitt, Central Catholic) was fighting for a starting spot at a position already depleted by injuries, as veteran free agent addition Mike Edwards (hamstring) and second-round rookie Cole Bishop (shoulder) both missed most of training camp. McDermott said Edwards and Bishop are both expected to be slowly eased into practice this week.
Experienced linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who has been out for a long time due to an ankle injury, is also expected to resume training.
