Mitch Trubisky out week to week; Bills starters won't play vs. Carolina
Bills coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Mitch Trubisky will be out multiple weeks due to a knee injury suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. That leaves just newly acquired Ben DiNucci behind Josh Allen, and means the Bills likely will need to add another backup.
The Buffalo Bills need to hunt for another backup quarterback and are looking dangerously thin for the season opener at their three biggest worry positions – safety, wide receiver and linebacker.
As a result, head coach Sean McDermott said Josh Allen and the rest of the starters will not play in Saturday’s final exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium.
Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky is out with a knee injury that could keep him out beyond the season opener. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
McDermott said No. 2 QB Mitch Trubisky will be out multiple weeks because of a knee injury he suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. That leaves just newly acquired Ben DiNucci behind Allen and means the Bills likely will need to add another backup, with the season opener against Arizona just 20 days away.
Meanwhile, starting safety Damar Hamlin is out on a week-to-week basis with a hamstring injury, as is starting wide receiver Curtis Samuel due to a turf toe and prospective No. 4 wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling due to a neck injury suffered in Pittsburgh.
More on the injury front:
- No. 3 tight end Quintin Morris (shoulder) and No. 2 middle linebacker Baylon Spector (calf) are out multiple weeks. McDermott said Morris is undergoing “further evaluation,” which indicates he could have a longer-term injury.
- Veteran safety Mike Edwards (hamstring), rookie safety Cole Bishop (shoulder) and veteran linebacker Nick Morrow (groin) will take part in walk-throughs and some individual portions of practice this week. That’s an improvement.
- The Bills are targeting later this week for defensive end Casey Toohill (groin) to return to practice.
- Rookie defensive end Javon Solomon (calf) and veteran defensive tackle Austin Johnson (calf) will be limited this week.
“Initially, the plan was to play the ones this week, but because of the injuries and the lack of availability, we’re going to take the ones out, play the other guys, take a good look at them,” McDermott said.
Here’s a closer look at the implications of the injuries by position:
SAFETY: Hamlin was starting alongside Taylor Rapp. Now Cam Lewis moves up into a starting position, as he did in Pittsburgh and possibly for the opener. The return to limited work by Edwards and Bishop is a bit of good news. Edwards was viewed as the prospective starter entering training camp but missed all of spring with a shoulder-surgery recovery and virtually all of camp with the hamstring.
“That’s one of the challenges we have, both at safety and at linebacker where there’s pivotal pieces that have not been able to rep whether it be completely from the spring and training camp included or for sure in some cases a lot of the majority of training camp,” McDermott said. “So it’s a challenge, we’ll find our way through it. ... We’re trying to capture every rep we can just using them in walk-through this week because we’re getting closer and closer to the season here.”
RECEIVER: The injuries to Samuel and Valdes-Scantling push up Mack Hollins and Tyrell Shavers into bigger roles the next couple of weeks, and potentially against Arizona. Shavers has to be considered a lock now to make the roster.
TIGHT END: Morris’ injury opens the door for No. 4 TE Zach Davidson to make the roster to start the season. Davidson has had a strong training camp.
LINEBACKER: Spector seemed locked in as the backup to Terrel Bernard, but Spector’s inability to stay healthy remains a big concern. Rookie Joe Andreessen could open the season as the No. 2 behind Bernard. The situation behind starting weakside linebacker Dorian Williams is a worry. Veteran Deion Jones probably will play a lot vs. Carolina. Can Morrow get ready for Arizona? Rookie Edefuan Ulofoshio has been hurt most of the summer.
QUARTERBACK: Veteran journeymen who remain unsigned on the market include A.J. McCarron, who had a stint with the Bills, and veterans Trevor Siemian, Brian Hoyer and Blaine Gabbert. Ex-Bills QB Matt Barkley is on his couch in California.
“(General manager Brandon Beane) is working on it with his staff, so it is something we need to keep our eye on for sure,” McDermott said.
McDermott said he wasn’t planning on playing Allen vs. Carolina, regardless.
“This week I was not planning to play him anyway, so it was going to give him an extra week to do his thing here,” McDermott said of Allen. “But he’s in a good spot.”