The Buffalo Bills defensive line received a concerning update on Thursday.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver did not participate in practice due to an ankle injury, according to ESPN’s Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg.
“Bills DT Ed Oliver (ankle) was wearing a boot on his left foot and was using a medical scooter to get around in the locker room,” she wrote on X. “Bills held a walk-through on Thursday, irregular for midweek early in the season.”
Wearing a boot and using a medical scooter is an extremely discouraging sign from the veteran defensive tackle. It’s extremely unlikely he will go from medical scooter to suiting up on Sunday against the New York Jets.
The news of Oliver not participating has already caught the eyes of Jets, as noted by Jets writer Rich Cimini.
“Key injury development from the Bills,” he wrote on X.
The Jets utilize a run-first offense with quarterback Justin Fields as well as the trio of running backs (Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis) much like the Baltimore Ravens did in Week 1 with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. His head coach, Sean McDermott, knows what he brings to the defensive unit.
“Yeah, big game. Ed had a big game,” McDermott said earlier this week, via WGR Sports Radio 550. “You could feel his play out there. Whether it was the run game, the pass game, a couple good hits on the quarterback, a couple big plays in the run game behind the line of scrimmage, and then forcing the fumble. Like the entire team, he didn’t quit. There was no quit in that team, in our team. And that’s a good thing as we look to move forward.”
Without Oliver, rookie defensive tackle Kenneth Grant will be asked to step up and play a bigger role. However, those around him will also have to pitch in more and help cover for Oliver’s absence.
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