Buffalo Bills receiver DJ Moore sat out Thursday’s practice with a re-aggravated shoulder sprain, leaving his status for Monday Night Football in Los Angeles against the Rams TBD.
Moore has hurt the same shoulder twice in less than three weeks, and Buffalo has until kickoff Monday to learn whether he can trust it.
Moore watched receiver drills from the sideline in a practice jersey, with no helmet or other gear, according to The Athletic reporter Joe Buscaglia.
“He’s always going to do literally everything he can to be out there, not just for himself, but for his teammates,” Bills coach Joe Brady said, as quoted by Spectrum News 1 Buffalo. Brady said the team will let Moore play if Moore believes he can perform at a high level.
Buffalo Bills’ DJ Moore Injury Timeline
Moore first hurt his left shoulder in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17. Late in the second quarter, he dove for a Josh Allen pass in the end zone, missed the catch and landed awkwardly, with Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin falling on him, according to USA Today.
He walked off under his own power and did not return. Ian Rapoport of according to Athlon Sports‘ injury NFL Network reported the diagnosis as an AC-joint sprain, not a broken collarbone.
Moore returned for Week 3 after limited practices in a red non-contact jersey, catching six of 10 targets for 67 yards in a 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He landed on the same shoulder in the second quarter of a 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots on Oct. 4, according to NBC Sports, and missed the second half.
The aggravation is not considered “a long-term issue as of right now,” according to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter.
Sports medicine physician Jesse Morse, who has no connection to the team, read the original injury as closer to Grade 2 than Grade 1, according to Morse’s post on X. A Grade 3 sprain would often cost about a month, Morse said.
No multi-week absence has been announced, and Moore is not on injured reserve. The Bills visit the Rams on Monday, Oct. 12, at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Moore is on the doubtful side of questionable, with Friday and Saturday practices still available to change that, according to NBC Sports.
| BUFFALO BILLS 2026 SCHEDULE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY • Record: 3-1 | ||||
| REGULAR SEASON — RESULTS | ||||
| WK | Date | Opponent | Result | W-L |
| 1 | Sun, Sep 13 | @ Houston Texans | W 36-31 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Thu, Sep 17 | vs Detroit Lions | W 41-31 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | vs Los Angeles Chargers | W 24-16 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | vs New England Patriots | L 29-26 | 3-1 |
| REGULAR SEASON — UPCOMING | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | Time (PT) | TV |
| 5 | Mon, Oct 12 | @ Los Angeles Rams | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 7 | BYE WEEK | |||
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | vs Baltimore Ravens | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 9 | Mon, Nov 9 | @ Minnesota Vikings | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | @ New York Jets | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | vs Miami Dolphins | 10:00 AM | Fox |
| 12 | Thu, Nov 26 | vs Kansas City Chiefs | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 13 | Sun, Dec 6 | @ New England Patriots | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Green Bay Packers | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 15 | Sat, Dec 19 | vs Chicago Bears | 5:20 PM | CBS |
| 16 | Fri, Dec 25 | @ Denver Broncos | 1:30 PM | Netflix |
| 17 | Sun, Jan 3 | @ Miami Dolphins | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 18 | TBD (Flex Game) | vs New York Jets | TBD | TBD |
| @ = road game, vs = home game • Week 18 date, time and network to be determined (flex scheduling) • Thanksgiving: Nov. 26 vs. Kansas City • Christmas Day: Dec. 25 at Denver | ||||
More on DJ Moore
On March 5, the Chicago Bears traded Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Bills for the No. 60 overall pick, according to The Athletic. In three seasons in Chicago, he caught 244 passes for 3,012 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Buffalo also gained a receiver who already knows Brady, his offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers, according to The Athletic‘s trade analysis.
Denniston Oliver “D.J.” Moore Jr. was born April 14, 1997, in Philadelphia, and stands 6-foot-0 and 213 pounds, according to StatMuse‘s career statistics page. Through Week 3, he had 619 catches for 8,380 yards and 44 touchdowns across nine seasons with Carolina, Chicago and Buffalo.
Moore played at Maryland from 2015 to 2017, setting a school record as a junior with 80 receptions for 1,033 yards. The Panthers drafted him 24th overall in 2018, the first receiver off the board. His best season came in 2023 with Chicago: 96 catches for 1,364 yards.
Bills Get New DJ Moore Injury Update at Practice Before Rams Game