Bills Give Concerning Injury Updates on 2 Key WRs Before Chargers Game

Getty

The Bills gave concerning injury updates on two key wide receivers before their game against the Chargers, putting both players’ status in focus.

Buffalo Bills receivers Keon Coleman and DJ Moore will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Chargers, each trending toward a game-time decision, Bills beat writer Sal Capaccio reported Friday.

Head coach Joe Brady isn’t rushing to clear either wideout, and with Buffalo sitting at 2-0, losing even one of them would reshape how Josh Allen spreads the ball around New Highmark Stadium.

Buffalo Bills’ Keon Coleman, DJ Moore Injury Timeline

Moore’s shoulder trouble traces back to a diving attempt on an Allen pass in the end zone during the Bills’ Sept. 17 win over the Detroit Lions. He landed awkwardly on his left shoulder, went to the sideline and didn’t return, finishing that night with 23 snaps, zero catches and a minus-1-yard carry before the exit. The injury has been diagnosed as an AC joint sprain.

Coleman rolled his right ankle in that same Week 2 game after tangling with a Lions defensive back. He briefly left, then came back and played out the second half, logging 55 snaps. It’s the same ankle he tweaked in an Aug. 15 preseason game, a history that helps explain why the discomfort resurfaced this week.

Both wideouts sat out practice entirely Thursday. On Wednesday, Moore worked in a limited, red non-contact jersey while Coleman did not practice at all. Friday brought better news for both. Moore was back on the field, still in a non-contact jersey, while Coleman logged a limited practice session of his own, according to RotoWire.

Brady said that both Coleman and Moore will be true game-time decisions, with their statuses expected to stay unconfirmed until roughly 90 minutes before Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

Buffalo’s injury report runs deeper than the receiver room. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who hurt his hip during pregame warmups before the Lions game, also drew a questionable tag after a limited Friday session. Cornerback Jordan Hancock (hamstring) and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (illness) are already ruled out for Sunday.

How Bills Would Adjust Without Coleman, Moore

The two receivers have taken turns carrying Buffalo’s passing game through two weeks. Moore torched Houston in the opener, catching five of eight targets for 100 yards and a 43-yard touchdown in the Bills’ 36-31 victory. Coleman, by contrast, was quiet that day, hauling in his only target for a single yard.

The roles flipped in Week 2. Once Moore exited with the shoulder injury, Coleman stepped into a featured role and caught all six of his targets for 63 yards, a workload that stood out enough for fantasy analysts to flag him as a potential factor if Moore were to miss additional time.

If Moore sits Sunday, Coleman’s Week 2 usage points to what comes next, with Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer and tight end Dalton Kincaid absorbing whatever targets Coleman doesn’t. A Coleman absence would hurt differently. Moore has emerged as Buffalo’s primary vertical threat, and the Bills would lean on Shakir, Palmer and rookie Skyler Bell to round out the receiver rotation behind him.

Moore hasn’t missed an NFL start since December 2020, a streak that frames Buffalo’s cautious handling of him this week as precaution rather than alarm. Coleman’s second ankle scare in six weeks is the more uncertain variable heading into the weekend.

The final word on both receivers won’t come until Sunday afternoon, leaving Buffalo’s game plan against the Chargers unsettled until kickoff nears.