Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver suffers rehab 'setback,' Sean McDermott says
The Bills had hoped Oliver would be back in time for the start of the AFC playoffs, but McDermott did not confirm that timeline Sunday night.
Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver returns to the field after suffering a biceps injury against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The Buffalo Bills defensive line is already thin, and now a possible reinforcement seems to be up in the air.
After the Bills' 13-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, coach Sean McDermott was asked if he has any update on defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who suffered a biceps injury against the Carolina Panthers in late October.
The Bills had hoped Oliver would be back in time for the start of the AFC playoffs, but McDermott did not confirm that timeline Sunday night.
“Nothing that I can talk about right now,” McDermott said Sunday after the game. “I think he’s moving in a good direction, but a little bit of a, call it a setback this past week, maybe.
“So, I don’t know if it’s going to affect his timeline or not yet. I don’t know enough. But that’s all I have for you right now.”
The Bills played Sunday without defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who is battling an ankle injury from Week 15 at New England, and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, who has a nagging calf injury that began pregame in Week 6 in Atlanta.
Already without Oliver, and then without Phillips and Jones, the Bills had rookies T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker to start the game Sunday.
“You guys know we've been trying to spin the dial, trying to figure things out, and tonight I was very, very pleased with what I saw from the defensive side,” McDermott said. “It wasn't perfect, and it's not going to be perfect, but some of those young guys and just the overall relentless nature of the defense and getting off the field on third down.”
The Bills placed Oliver on injured reserve on Oct. 28. On Nov. 17, he shared an update on his Instagram story that his biceps surgery had gone well. A day after that, Oliver was back at the Bills facility during practice on the sideline, and he’s been getting some work in at One Bills Drive ever since.
