Teams do not have to release injury reports until next week, but the Bills may have a second issue at cornerback to open their season. Maxwell Hairston is on IR, being one of the 41 players to receive a return designation Tuesday, but the Bills’ preferred option behind the rookie — Tre’Davious White — now appears uncertain for Week 1. White suffered what the Bills are calling a lower leg injury during the final training camp practice, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes, and did not travel to the team’s preseason finale in Tampa. White did not practice at the Bills workout open to the media Wednesday.
White certainly has a history of injury trouble, going down with an ACL tear in 2021 and an Achilles tear in 2023. Those maladies altered White’s first Bills stint, as he became a cap casualty in March 2024. Re-signing on a one-year, $3MM deal, White has a prime opportunity to be Buffalo’s boundary CB opposite Christian Benford — the team’s 2023 season-opening setup. This is not a season-ending injury, per GM Brandon Beane, and White not landing on IR points to a September return. If White is unable to go, the Bills have Ja’Marcus Ingram, sixth-round rookie Dorian Strong and practice squad stash Dane Jackson. If the Bills place White on IR now, he would not count against their eight-activation total like Hairston and Tylan Grable do.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- A question mark late in White’s first stint (and generally in Bills-Chiefs playoff matchups), cornerback is one of Buffalo’s few roster issues entering the season. The Bills are confident in their offense, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes a trade or two to bolster the defense should be monitored ahead of the November deadline. Buffalo allowed 5.5 yards per play last season (22nd), and Graziano mentions safety as a possible position to watch regarding a trade. The Bills have Cole Bishop set to complement Taylor Rapp, with Damar Hamlin back as a backup. Jordan Poyer also re-signed as practice squad insurance, reminding of Micah Hyde‘s 2024 NFL finale.
- The Dolphins will begin the season shorthanded in the backfield. While De’Von Achane is expected to be ready after missing late-summer work, Mike McDaniel said Jaylen Wright will not. Wright underwent minor leg surgery but is expected to miss multiple games, with McDaniel (via NFL’com’s Cameron Wolfe) replying “September-ish” as a return window for the second-year RB. Sixth-round rookie Ollie Gordon…