The Buffalo Bills are in danger of being without one of the team’s key starters when the franchise kicks off the NFL season against the Houston Texans on September 13. While the NFL season has yet to start, the Bills are already dealing with multiple injuries that fans will want to keep an eye on with Week 1 fast approaching.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane provided an update on a number of key injuries. The Buffalo GM admitted that starting inside linebacker Terrel Bernard’s status for Week 1 remains uncertain.
The defender did not practice on Tuesday, September 1, and Beane described Bernard as “nicked up a little bit.”
“Hoping to get him back to full health, hopefully before game one, we’ll see,” Beane said of Bernard’s status during a September 1, media session, per BuffaloBills.com.
It sounds like Bernard is trending in the right direction, but his status is far from a certainty for Week 1.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest Bills news and rumors.
Bills News: Starting LB Terrel Bernard Is in Danger of Missing Week 1 Game vs. Texans
Bernard has appeared in 58 games during his first four NFL seasons in Buffalo, including 42 starts. The defender made 12 appearances (including 11 starts) during the 2025 season posting 65 tackles, seven tackles for loss and one interception.
Bernard is on a four-year, $42 million contract that is slated to go through 2029. Beane’s comments indicate that Bernard’s injury is not expected to be serious, but it is significant enough that the linebacker could miss time.
This update comes less than one week after Bills head coach Joe Brady indicated Bernard was “going to be good” regarding his injury.
The Bills Are Dealing With Injuries to Multiple Key Players Ahead of the Start of NFL Season
One injury where Buffalo has a little more clarity is rookie defensive lineman Zane Durant. The defender was placed on injured reserve which means the rookie will be sidelined for at least four games.
“I don’t think it’s out of the question that he could be back when the rules allow, which the earliest would be game five,” Beane said of Durant. “I don’t think that’s off the table. I think we’re going to need a little more time to kind of see how he progresses.”
Two additional players who are dealing with injuries worth monitoring are safety CJ Gardner-Johnson and offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr.
Bills HC Joe Brady: ‘I Never Felt Pressure Because I’m Ready for This’
The Bills are less than two weeks away from kicking off the NFL season on the road against the Houston Texans. Buffalo is a slight 1.5-point road favorite against Houston in Week 1, per FanDuel.
Not only is it the first game of the Bills’ season, but the contest officially marks the debut of the Brady era in Buffalo.
“I never felt pressure because I’m ready for this,” Brady told Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano during an August 18, interview. “I don’t think about the Super Bowl, but no one has higher expectations than myself.
“I knew why I took this job and I knew what came with it. That doesn’t mean I am talking about it every single day or that I can’t handle all that comes with it. But I’ll just be myself and everything will go from there.”
Bills Dealt Concerning News 11 Days Before Start of NFL Season vs. Texans