The Buffalo Bills got hit with a very unfortunate injury to the team’s top interior defensive lineman, Ed Oliver, at the 11th hour last week when he injured his hip during warmups ahead of the Thursday Night Football matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Although the Bills still won fairly comfortably and survived a late comeback attempt from Detroit, whose defense was carved up by Josh Allen and co. in the first half, there were lingering worries that Oliver’s injury could see him miss time.
Particularly since he was immediately ruled inactive after sustaining the injury, rather than see him remain questionable or doubtful on the bench for the remainder of the game.
Ed Oliver Returns to Practice on Thursday, Participates in Individual Drills
However, Buffalo received some encouraging news on Thursday, exactly one week after the initial injury. Oliver was seen practicing with the team for the first time this week after being a DNP on Wednesday.
Syracuse.com’s Matt Parrino shared a video on X of Oliver participating in individual drills, including hitting pads at what seemed to be at or close to full speed.
The Bills have not yet released their injury report for the day, but it appears that at the very least he is practicing in a limited fashion, and quite possibly fully.
Bills Facing Injury Problem at Defensive Tackle
Meanwhile, fellow defensive tackle T.J. Sanders was not at practice due to having an appendectomy, and reports suggest that he will not suit up against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Without Sanders, the need for the Bills’ other starting three-technique becomes all the more important, especially with regards to the pass rush. Fill-in and former third round draft pick DeWayne Carter has impressed mightily in the run game, and even managed an 11.1% pressure rate in Week 2’s game against the Lions, although much of that could be attributed to Detroit’s offensive line play.
Long term on defense, the Bills will want their top interior pass rusher to complement the strong starts being made by edge rushing duo Bradley Chubb and Greg Rousseau. And it appears that Oliver is on track to return sooner rather than later.
Bills Get Excellent Injury Update on Star Defensive Lineman