Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver was off to an All-Pro pace to start the 2025 season before an injury derailed much of his year.
Now, Oliver is again sidelined by injury and facing an uncertain recovery.
Bills head coach Joe Brady noted that Oliver missed Thursday’s joint practice with the Cleveland Browns with an unspecified injury. He would not give further details, leaving in doubt whether Oliver would suit up for this weekend’s game or the preseason finale.
Joe Brady Quiet About Ed Oliver’s Injury
SI.com reporter John Green noted that Oliver was among a handful of players who missed the lively joint practice with the Browns. Brady said that his absence was injury-related, but said he would not go into any more depth on Oliver’s or any other player’s injuries until the start of the regular season, when more strict injury reporting guidelines go into place.
“In two weeks you guys are going to get the full (report): what the injuries are and whatnot,” Brady said. “It’s not me just trying to hide information or anything like that. It’s just more so, there’s so many different variables and everything that comes with a person’s hamstring or a groin or an ankle or a toe. And, everybody’s a little different.”
There were several players held out of practice on Thursday, including wide receivers Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Skyler Bell, and safeties Jalon Kilgore and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Oliver suffered a bicep injury in the team’s win over the Carolina Panthers on October 26, 2025. He was placed on injured reserve and remained out until January, joining the team for their playoff run.
Bills Have New-Look Defense in 2026
The Bills made some sweeping changes in the offseason, firing head coach Sean McDermott and bringing in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who adopted his 3-4 base alignment. Leonhard said he wanted the defensive line and edge rushers to generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, adding this week that he wanted the team to play physical in joint practices with the Browns.
“No. 1 is the physicality,” Leonhard said, via Audacy. “You’re going against somebody else, that always lifts the intensity of a practice. You get sick of beating up your own guys. They know what you’re doing, you know what they’re doing. In some ways, you’re game-planning them. You’re watching them a little bit, but it’s a little bit more of you don’t exactly know what you’re going to get. So just play ball.”
The Bills looked strong on defense in their preseason opener, a 29-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. Leonhard said it’s good to see how his players fit into the system in a real game setting.
“Can our guys just go out there and play with confidence? React to certain things that they have’t studied, they haven’t seen, or they haven’t repped for a couple weeks?” Leonhard said. “That’s the biggest thing. Just seeing if we can get through our adjustments and be clean with our communication, and still play physical and confident.”
Bills DT Ed Oliver Faces Uncertainty After Injury Update