DeWayne Carter wants to be a part of the solution along the Bills' revamped defensive line
When forecasting what the Buffalo Bills’ defensive line will look like for the 2026 season, DeWayne Carter’s name hasn’t come up much. Carter had surgery on his Achilles just days after being hurt before the start of the 2025 season, and said last month as the Bills cleaned out their lockers...
Bills defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, left, missed all of the 2025 season because of a torn Achilles tendon.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The NFL is very much an out-of-sight, out-of-mind league.
That explains why, when forecasting what the Buffalo Bills’ defensive line will look like for the 2026 season, DeWayne Carter’s name hasn’t come up much.
Carter missed the entirety of the 2025 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during practice just about a week before the start of the regular season.
Combined with the six-game suspension of veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, that left the Bills’ depth at the position quite depleted before a real game had even been played.
It also continued a tough start to his professional career for Carter, who missed five games as a rookie in 2024 following wrist surgery. He played in 11 games, making 14 tackles, but was a healthy inactive for the playoffs.
Carter had surgery on his Achilles just days after being hurt, and said last month as the Bills cleaned out their lockers that his recovery was on schedule. He hopes to be ready for the start of training camp.
“There are obviously specific protocols to be followed,” he said, “but that's the plan, to be ready to go.”
Carter played 52 college games at Duke, including 38 straight starts over his final three seasons. Missing 28 of the 39 games the Bills have played over the past two seasons, then, has tested him mentally as much as it has physically.
“It's tough, especially when I know I can help the team,” he said. “You know, I want to be out there with the guys. At the end of the day, we've got a lot of vets, a lot of older guys who have played a lot of ball, right? Especially in this league, you never know if you'll get the chance to play with the same team ever again or the same guys, so that's honestly the hardest part for me. I've got a great bond with a lot of guys in this locker room.”
Coming into the league, scouting reports suggested that Carter could be a scheme-versatile player. That’s especially important to consider this offseason with the Bills switching from a base 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Carter is under contract for two more seasons, which is another important consideration at a position with four pending unrestricted free agents – Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips, Phidarian Mathis and DaQuan Jones. In addition to Carter, Deone Walker, Ed Oliver and T.J. Sanders are signed for next season.
“I'm just excited to play ball again,” Carter said. “It just turns into this child-like happiness to be back on the field again. Being injured is very humbling in the sense that it can just be taken away from you like that.
“I got hurt doing something I do every single day. I've probably done it a million times in my life, so for me to have the opportunity to get back out there, I'm just blessed.”
The Bills used a third-round draft pick on Carter in 2024 out of Duke, where he became the first three-time team captain in Blue Devils history. The following year, Beane used a second-round pick on Sanders, a third-round pick on defensive end Landon Jackson and a fourth-round pick on Walker. That’s a substantial investment on the defensive line that, to this point, has offered little in return.
Walker had a very promising rookie season, but Jackson got hurt and missed almost the entire year. Sanders, meanwhile, was asked to play out of position at defensive end because of injuries, which stunted his development.
The Bills need all four of them to be contributors next season.
“I can do a better job of finding the right pieces, for sure,” Beane said.
Bills bring back Buechele
The Bills added some depth to the roster behind Josh Allen on Wednesday.The team signed quarterback Shane Buechele to a one-year contract. Wide receiver Jalen Virgil also signed a one-year contract for the 2026 season.
Buechele, 28, has been a part of the organization for the past three seasons. He was a member of the practice squad in 2023, then spent the 2024 season on injured reserve because of a neck injury. He again spent most of the 2025 season on the practice squad before signing to the Kansas City Chiefs' active roster in December. Buechele made his NFL debut, going 7 of 14 for 88 yards against the Raiders in Week 18. Buechele then rejoined the Bills' practice squad in time for the playoffs. He got his NFL start with the Chiefs in 2021 as a rookie undrafted free agent. He spent that season on the practice squad and was a member of the 53-man roster in 2022, although he was inactive for every game. He did earn a Super Bowl ring that season with Kansas City.
Mitch Trubisky, the Bills' No. 2 quarterback last season behind Allen, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month, so Buechele provides some organizational depth at the position.
So, too, does Virgil at wide receiver. A former rookie undrafted free agent of the Broncos in 2022, Virgil played in nine games as a rookie for Denver, making two catches for 75 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown on his first career reception. He spent the 2023 season on Denver's injured reserve, then was waived ahead of the 2024 season. The Bills signed Virgil to their practice squad the next day, and he eventually appeared in seven games for Buffalo during the 2024 season, although he did not make any catches. He was released by the Bills ahead of the 2025 season. He briefly spent time with the Arizona Cardinals on their practice squad and also played for the DC Defenders of the United Football League.