The Buffalo Bills suffered their first loss of the season in Week 4 at the hands of the New England Patriots.
Buffalo lost 29-26 as the defense was a major issue for the team and still remains a problem. The secondary and linebackers have continued to struggle, which could force Buffalo to make some major moves.
The Bills will go on the road to play the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.
Buffalo Bills Urged to Cut Terrel Bernard
Against the Patriots, starting linebacker Terrel Bernard struggled once again.
The Bills’ starting linebacker has been a problem on defense, and Bills insider Nate Geary urges the team to cut Bernard this offseason.
“Terrel Bernard has a $4M dead cap hit with a pre 6/1 cut. Would be a fantastic use of $4M,” Geary wrote on X.
Bernard is in the midst of a four-year, $42.143 million deal with the Bills, but there is a potential out after this season. If Bernard can’t turn his season around, it does seem likely his time in Buffalo could very well be over.
Bernard has always been considered a small linebacker, but he has continued to have success. Yet, this season has been a major step back and a cause for concern for Buffalo going forward.
The 6-foot-1 linebacker was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s recorded 29 tackles and 1 fumble recovery this season. His best season came in 2023 when he recorded 143 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 3 fumble recoveries.
Bernard Benched During Patriots Game
During the Bills’ loss to the Patriots on Sunday, Bernard was noticeably benched.
Rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr has replaced Dorian Williams at times this season. However, Elarms-Orr and Williams were both on the field while Bernard was on the sidelines, as The Athletic’s Joe Buscgalia noticed.
“Even in coverage and chasedown situations, Bernard looked a little slow,” Buscgalia wrote. “It’s worth pointing out that Bernard has been on the injury report three straight weeks, with a calf injury in Week 2 and a knee injury over the last two. …
“It went mostly unnoticed, but Elarms-Orr actually was the “mike” in place of Bernard for two defensive series. It happened at the end of the first half, and again just before the end of the third quarter. In both instances, Bernard stood on the sideline, wearing a hat and holding his helmet with both arms behind his back. It was a notable development. Are the Bills thinking about trying a duo of Elarms-Orr and Dorian Williams more often?”
Perhaps the Bills will let Bernard get healthy for a week or two and see what happens. However, for now, Bernard’s future in Buffalo is very much in doubt.
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