Bills coach Sean McDermott said right now he does not know the long-term outlook for Oliver's hamstring injury.
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The Buffalo Bills will be short-handed against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Coach Sean McDermott ruled out four players: defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hamstring), wide receiver Khalil Shakir (ankle), defensive tackle Austin Johnson (oblique), and safety Taylor Rapp (concussion). The team already knew it would be without defensive end Von Miller, who is suspended for four games.
McDermott acknowledged that "potentially" the Bills will elevate players from the practice squad.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) evades a tackle from Baltimore Ravens safety Eddie Jackson (39)
during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News
Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) were limited in Friday's practice and are questionable for the game.
Left tackle Dion Dawkins (hamstring) will be good to go. He was a full participant on Friday, after he was limited Thursday and did not participate Wednesday. Dawkins has no injury status for the game.
McDermott said right now he does not know the long-term outlook for Oliver's hamstring injury; he still needed to hear more from head athletic trainer Nate Breske.
"Usually with hamstrings, you really don’t know," McDermott said. "You fear the multiple weeks-type of injury, but I haven’t had that conversation yet."
Bernard still has some testing he has to go through Friday and Saturday and to talk to the doctors.
"Felt good to get back out there," Bernard said Friday. "...My pec feels pretty much the same as it's been pretty much all week. So it's gotten, I think, a little bit stronger. So I think we'll see where we're at. I've still got some stuff to do today (Friday) and tomorrow, and go from there."
Part of it for Bernard was testing out his pectoral muscle and feeling how it was to wrap up and tackle. He said he did not have any setbacks during the week. Bernard was limited all week, but he was out of the red noncontact jersey.
Johnson was still in a red contact jersey for the open portion of Friday's practice. He was also limited all week.
The Bills brought in defensive tackle Zion Logue this week. Logue, a rookie, has yet to make his NFL debut.
"We'll do the best we can with it, and take a positive approach and mindset," McDermott said of Logue. "That's where it starts: the right attitude -- for Zion and us. ... It's always going to be the sum of the parts, right? So we have to take that approach. There is no blinking right now. We're going into a hostile environment, and we have to stay together on this."
Bishop to start
With Rapp out, rookie safety Cole Bishop is set to start, McDermott said Friday.
Bishop came into the game against the Baltimore Ravens when Rapp was injured. Bishop did come in on defense against the Jacksonsville Jaguars in Week 3, but that was once the game was already out of hand. Coming in against the Ravens brought more meaningful snaps.
"That’s always a journey, right, when you’re playing your first NFL game, and I thought he had some really good plays," McDermott said of Bishop. "And then some plays that he wants back. And then some of them were just something just base fundamentals. So he’ll adjust and he’ll be fine."
Bishop feels ready for the opportunity.
"(I) feel good," Bishop said. "Obviously, hopefully Taylor continues to feel better. Those are scary things. But I'm excited, going to do everything I can to help."
