Getty Marquez Stevenson #5 of the Buffalo Bills returns a punt for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during a preseason game at Soldier Field on August 21, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.
The 2021 NFL season has yet to officially start, but the Buffalo Bills already have more than a few players already banged up from a trio of preseason games.
The Bills released their updated injured list on Wednesday, revealing that wide receiver Marquez Stevenson is headed to the IR, and will remain out for quite some time.
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Losing Stevenson, whose nickname is “Speedy,” is an unfortunate early blow for the Bills, as he’s expected to miss at least three weeks, according to Buffalo Rumblings. In addition to suffering a head injury, he’s dealing with a lingering ankle/foot injury.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke out about Stevenson’s injury on September 1, noting that long snapper Reid Ferguson “will be back on the roster,” to fill in for the injured 2021 sixth-round pick.
GettyMarquez Stevenson #5 of the Buffalo Bills on the field during training camp at the Adpro Sports Training Center on July 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
“The subsequent move will be Marquez Stevenson will be put on IR,” Beane said. “His foot has still been nagging him. He actually had re-hurt it before that punt return against the Bears, and believe it or not still took that thing back. And that’s why he got shut down then. It’s still nagging him. The best thing is to let it calm down, so we’ll put him down. So we’ll go down to six wide receivers, we’ll get Reid back on.”
Stevenson Put On an Impressive Performance During the Bills’ Preseason
SPEEDY FOR SIX‼️
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It’s safe to assume this isn’t how the University of Houston alum saw his rookie NFL year starting. The 23-year-old wide receiver is already proving to be a huge threat on the Bills’ offense. During the Bills preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, he caught a 42-yard pass from quarterback Jake Fromm, which set up the game-winning kick by Tyler Bass.
During Buffalo’s second preseason game against the Chicago Bears, he returned a punt in the third quarter, taking the ball 73 yards to the end zone. It was during that play Stevenson appeared to injure his foot/ankle.
Hopefully, “Speedy” is able to return to full health soon. At Houston, Stevenson ran three touchdowns as a return man. The 6-foot receiver’s best shot of nailing down a position on the Bills’ 53-man roster will likely be via special teams.
During his Pro Day, Stevenson clocked a 6.76 three-cone drill and claimed his 4.45-second 40-yard dash was lackluster due to the heavy winds that day, according to the Bills Wire Nick Wojton.
Other Notable Bills’ Injuries Going Into Week 1
In addition to Stevenson, a few other players remain absent from practice to due injuries. Thankfully, none of them appear to be serious.
Buffalo Rumblings Matt Warren reported on Thursday the following players were not at practice: “DE Jerry Hughes (rest) and FS Jaquan Johnson (knee) were not participating but were in attendance. FS Micah Hyde (personal reasons) and DT Star Lotulelei (calf).”
As for the good news, “CB Levi Wallace, DT Harrison Phillips, TE Tommy Sweeney, and OT Spencer Brown were all back in the lineup,” Warren continued. “CB Taron Johnson, CB Dane Jackson, and WR Isaiah McKenzie were all wearing red non-contact jerseys but practiced.”
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Bills ‘Speedy’ Wide Receiver to Start NFL Season on IR