Getty Isaiah McKenzie reacts after a kick return touchdown was called back for a holding penalty in a game against the Tennessee Titans.
Just before the Buffalo Bills took on the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving, starting kick returner Isaiah McKenzie took to Twitter with a cryptic comment that hinted his season was over. A little more than a week later, that offhand remark may be very telling.
After serving as the team’s full-time returner for both punts and kickoffs all season, McKenzie was inactive for the game against the Saints and was left inactive again for the team’s Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots. While he has not been listed on the injury report at all during the week, McKenzie’s comment could serve as a major hint for his future this season.
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Bills Bench Kick Returners in Heavy Winds
Ahead of the AFC East showdown with the Patriots, the Bills announced that both McKenzie and his replacement in the return game, rookie wide receiver Marquez Stevenson, were inactive. Some insiders hinted that the game conditions, with strong winds and intermittent snow, may have led the Bills to go with safer options for the return game.
McKenzie had drawn some critical remarks from Bills head coach Sean McDermott after a series of miscues, including a costly fumble on a kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts in which McKenzie lost his footing and then lost the ball as he fell to the turf. The turnover put the Colts on the goal line, allowing them to extend the first-half lead.
Very strange fumble on the kick returner untouched… Colts score immediately after and it’s suddenly 24-7 Colts. What a strange turn of events for the #Bills.
After McKenzie was benched against the Saints, McDermott said it was a difficult decision to bench the team’s starting kick returner.
“Yeah, I mean he’s a competitive guy. And I understand he wants to be out there,” McDermott said, via USA Today’s Bills Wire. “So those emotions are real and I get that.”
McKenzie’s Cryptic Comment
Just hours before the team announced that he was inactive against the Saints, McKenzie raised some eyebrows with a reply to a fan on Twitter in which he said he was “out for the season.” It does not appear that McKenzie was referring to any kind of injury, as he has remained a full participant in practices and McDermott said after the Saints game that there was no injury factoring into his decision to bench the fifth-year veteran.
@ERock71355286 Out for the season
Teammates also hinted that McKenzie will get another chance this season, offering some encouragement.
“He’s a pro. He’ll bounce back,” said safety Micah Hyde, via Bills Wire. “You know obviously, whatever happened last game… and him not dressing or whatever this game is… you know we’re all competitors so we want to go out there and try to help this team win ballgames so you know, he’ll be alright.”
Beyond his work in the return game, McKenzie saw his role in the offense diminished this season. He had just eight targets on the season, catching five passes for 26 yards. McKenzie had also served as the team’s jet sweep specialist as he was speedier in getting to the corner than running backs Zack Moss or Devin Singletary, but the Bills have been turning to the speedier Matt Breida to fill that role in recent games.
With both McKenzie and Stevenson inactive against the Patriots, the Bills turn to other veterans with experience returning kicks.
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