The Buffalo Bills are one of the hottest teams in the NFL heading into Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. They are 4-0 through their first four games, and they appear to be one of the top Super Bowl contenders across the league. However, injuries continue popping up for them, which could present some issues moving forward.
Several players appeared on Buffalo’s initial injury report on Wednesday for their upcoming contest against the New England Patriots, which isn’t exactly an unusual development. On Thursday, though, a pair of rookie defenders were added to the injury report, which is certainly a cause for concern considering how there’s only one more practice left this week.
T.J. Sanders, Dorian Strong Pop Up on Bills’ Injury Report
With Josh Allen turning himself into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, the Bills have become a consistent championship contender. To this point, though, they have not been able to get over the hump, due in large part to their defense’s inability to limit their opponent when the lights are at their brightest.
Buffalo responded to another AFC Championship Game loss by going out and reinforcing their defense this offseason. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bills looked to add some young studs to this side of the ball, which resulted in defensive tackle T.J. Sanders being selected in the second round and cornerback Dorian Strong being selected in the sixth round.
Both guys have suited up for each of Buffalo’s first four games, although they have had fairly limited roles, with the team looking to ease them into the action. Sanders has just two tackles so far, while Strong, who started for the Bills in their season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens, has 10 tackles to this point.
Neither Sanders nor Strong was on the injury report Wednesday, but both were added on Thursday, indicating that their statuses for Week 5 could be up in the air. Sanders still logged a limited practice despite dealing with a knee injury, while Strong missed practice entirely due to a neck injury.
Bills Could Be Shorthanded on Defense in Week 5
GettyBuffalo Bills head coach, Sean McDermott, looking on from the sidelines against the Miami Dolphins during Thursday Night Football on September 18, 2025.
The Bills could be getting a pair of key starters, defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano, back for this clash with the Patriots, but their depth could take a big hit if either Sanders or Strong can’t go. They both have one more practice to get back on the field ahead of this game, but as of right now, it’s looking like Sanders has a better shot of playing than Strong.
New England may only be 2-2, but it is fresh off a 42-13 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, so Buffalo is going to want to have all of its players at its disposal for this big AFC East matchup. With this game being set for Sunday Night Football, the Bills have a little extra time than normal to get ready for this one, as kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bills Add 2 Rookie Defenders to Injury Report Ahead of Patriots Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.