The Buffalo Bills posted their first official injury report of the 2026 season Wednesday, and it doesn’t even fill the page. Three names, no projected offensive starters, four days before the Buffalo Bills open against the Houston Texans, as reported by Bills beat reporter Lance Lysowski.
Kickoff for Sunday’s regular-season opener in Houston is set for 1 p.m. EDT at Reliant Stadium, broadcast on CBS. Buffalo enters as a slight road favorite, and a clean Wednesday sheet does nothing to change that outlook.
Two players did not practice. One was limited. None is expected to start on offense Sunday, but each still factors into a group that needs every healthy body against Houston.
Buffalo Bills’ Three Wednesday Designations
Jordan Hancock, a defensive back, did not practice because of a quad injury. The Ohio State product was Buffalo’s fifth-round pick in 2025 and played 13 games as a rookie in a reduced role while working back from shoulder surgery.
New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has used him at both nickel and safety this summer.
“He’s a chess piece for us,” coach Joe Brady said, according to NFLTradeRumors.co. Hancock sits behind Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston and Davison Igbinosun, so a Wednesday DNP mostly threatens special teams, not a starting job.
Ty Johnson, the Bills’ third-down back, also sat out with a hamstring issue. The 28-year-old signed a two-year, $5 million deal with Buffalo last year and has become one of Josh Allen’s favorite outlets on passing downs. Johnson totaled 200 rushing yards last season on 50 carries, adding 24 catches for 263 yards. Losing him would shrink Buffalo’s third-down protection and kick-return work, though James Cook and Ray Davis can absorb the ground game.
T.J. Sanders was limited with a knee injury, a step up from the two DNPs. Buffalo’s 2025 second-round pick out of South Carolina plays behind Ed Oliver on the interior, and last season he generated 13 quarterback pressures on 164 pass-rushing snaps, according to Buffalo Rumblings’ analysis. A limited practice beats the knee trouble that cost him five games as a rookie, and depth remains behind him regardless.
The Bigger Bills Story: Who Is Not Listed
The names missing from Wednesday’s report matter more than the three on it. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir returned to practice for the first time since suffering a preseason injury that had clouded his Week 1 outlook, according to Bills On SI‘s Mike Moraitis. Shakir led Buffalo with 719 receiving yards last season and remains Allen’s most trusted target even with DJ Moore now in the mix. Linebacker Terrel Bernard, Allen himself, running back James Cook and Moore are all off the sheet entirely.
Houston isn’t nearly as fortunate. The Texans already lost two starting wide receivers for real, with Jayden Higgins done for the year on a torn ACL and Tank Dell not eligible to return before Week 5, according to Athlon Sports. Right tackle Braden Smith is expected to miss at least four games with a foot injury, according to Yahoo Sports, pushing veteran Trent Brown into the lineup.
NFL teams file practice reports every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of game week, and Week 1 lists run the gamut — some clubs post a half-dozen leftover camp injuries, others next to none. Buffalo’s version, with no starters attached, reads leaner than most midseason reports the Bills will file later this year. Thursday and Friday will clarify the situation. Johnson’s hamstring is the injury worth monitoring.
Buffalo Bills Announce Injury Updates on 3 Players Before Texans Game