The Buffalo Bills are rolling to begin the 2026 campaign, as they have picked up a pair of loud wins over the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions. Making the Bills’ success even more impressive is the fact that they have not been fully healthy to begin the year, as they were without several key players in their Week 2 win over the Lions.
One guy who was not on the field for this game was star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, as he ended up being ruled out right before kickoff with a hip injury. While Oliver has had a couple of extra days to get himself ready for Week 3 after Buffalo last took the field on Thursday Night Football, head coach Joe Brady revealed on Friday that his status for the team’s upcoming action is still up in the air.
Ed Oliver Officially Questionable to Play for Bills in Week 3
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Oliver has been one of the more underrated players at his position during his time in the pros. He doesn’t have a single Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection to his name, but when he’s playing his best football, it’s tough to say that there are many defensive tackles in the league that are better than Oliver.
In 2025, injuries limited Oliver to just three games, and he has continued to struggle to stay on the field to begin the new campaign. A sudden case of hip spasms kept Oliver off the field against the Lions, but the Bills still managed to pick up a fairly comfortable victory. When considering how good of a player Oliver is, though, Buffalo obviously wants him on the field as much as possible.
Oliver managed to return to practice on Thursday, but he isn’t out of the woods just yet when it comes to his quest to suit up in Week 3. Brady revealed that Oliver will be listed as questionable for this game, but he also made it clear that he is going to give the former first-round pick as much of an opportunity to make his return as possible.
Bills listing WRs DJ Moore (shoulder) and Keon Coleman (ankle) as questionable, with Joe Brady telling reporters he’ll give them until game time on Sunday vs. the Chargers. Same with DT Ed Oliver (hip),” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Ed Oliver Trending Towards Being a Game-Time Decision for the Bills
It’s still early in the season, and given his history with injuries, the Bills aren’t going to rush Oliver into action if he isn’t ready to go. Against a struggling Los Angeles Chargers team, Buffalo may not even need Oliver on the field in order to win this one, but again, you always want your best players on the field for as many snaps as possible.
Seeing Oliver return to practice is encouraging, but the fact that Brady is implying he will be a game-time decision isn’t necessarily an encouraging sign. A final determination on Oliver’s status will be made 90 minutes before the team’s 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday, so fans should check back then to see whether or not he will suit up for this game.
Bills’ HC Joe Brady Issues Final Week 3 Injury Update on Star Defender