The Buffalo Bills are preparing for their Week 6 clash with the Atlanta Falcons, and after suffering their first loss of the 2025 season in Week 5 at the hands of the New England Patriots, they will be eager to get back in the win column. Unfortunately, the team was dealt a couple of tough injuries ahead of their upcoming game.
While it appears as if star defensive tackle Ed Oliver is on track to play against the Falcons, the Bills lost safety Damar Hamlin to injured reserve on Saturday. After the team announced the move, head coach Sean McDermott provided some more clarity on Hamlin’s status moving forward after his tough injury blow.
Sean McDermott Provides Injury Update on Damar Hamlin
The 2025 season has been an interesting one for Hamlin. After emerging as a starter at safety for the team last year, he has played in each of the team’s first five games, but he’s been used as a reserve player instead of a starter, racking up just one tackle during his limited time on the field. Instead, Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop have been the starters at safety so far this season.
Hamlin is a solid special teams player who has experience in Buffalo’s defensive system, so that makes him a guy worth holding onto as a backup. Now that he’s out, that could lead to the veteran Jordan Poyer getting elevated to the active roster from the practice squad, or the team could simply lean on Sam Franklin Jr. and Jordan Hancock for the time being.
The decision to place Hamlin on injured reserve was a bit curious, as he only recently popped up on the injury report. When speaking on the decision, McDermott revealed that Hamlin suffered a pectoral injury during practice last week, and with a multi-game absence expected, the team opted to place him on injured reserve to open up a roster spot.
“T.J. Sanders and Damar are both out, will eventually both head to IR,” McDermott said on Saturday. “(Hamlin) had a pec situation come up in practice.”
Bills Hoping to Get Back in the Win Column After Week 5 Loss
GettyBuffalo Bills head coach, Sean McDermott, jogging onto the field ahead of the game against the New Orleans Saints on September 28, 2025.
Considering how he lost his starting job this season, being without Hamlin isn’t necessarily the end of the world, but it will force Buffalo to make some changes to the backend of its roster. Poyer certainly is a guy worth calling up from the practice squad, as he has ample experience in the Bills’ defensive system, which makes him a perfect backup option.
Even with Hamlin on injured reserve, Buffalo will still be heavily favored to take down Atlanta, which is fresh off its bye week in Week 5. The Bills have looked the part of a Super Bowl contender through five games, and a key trait that many champions possess is an ability to bounce back after a tough loss. That is precisely what this team will be looking to do when they take the field at 7:15 p.m. ET on Monday Night Football.
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