The Buffalo Bills announced a surprise move 90 minutes before their game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, making return specialist Brandon Codrington a healthy scratch for the game.
The move leaves an uncertain future for the speedy returner, who has struggled at his defensive position at cornerback and now faces competition for his main spot on the roster. Bills head coach Sean McDermott explained the move after the game, telling reporters why the starter was kept on the bench for Sunday’s game.
Brandon Codrington Could Fight for Roster Spot
After Buffalo’s 31-19 win over the Saints, McDermott was asked why the team chose to make Codrington inactive for the game. The Bills coach told reporters that the team wanted to see how others performed in the return roles, hinting that Codrington might have some competition.
“Seeing how the gameday roster looks with certain players up and certain players down, with the goal of making sure we have our best guys out there,” McDermott explained.
Codrington has averaged 5.3 yards per return on punts this season and 29.0 yards per kickoff, with one fumble.
The Bills activated wide receiver Curtis Samuel for the first time this season and tapped him for kick return duties against the Saints. He had three returns, averaging 27.3 yards per return. Backup running back Ty Johnson also returned one kick for 13 yards. The Bills called on receiver Khalil Shakir to return punts, and he had just one return for six yards.
The benching could be a dire sign for Codrington, who has played sparingly at cornerback. If the Bills choose to move Samuel into the kick return role on a permanent basis, the team would likely cut ties with Codrington.
Bills Making Other Roster Changes
The Bills did more roster shuffling during the game, benching veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White in favor of rookie Dorian Strong. Though White struggled at times, he led the team with nine tackles and McDermott said after the game that he wanted to get the rookie some experience.
âJust looking at a young player,â McDermott said. âGiving him some experience and some valuable reps. It wasnât anything that Tre didnât do. That was the plan going into the game.â
While McDermott has historically not rotated defensive backs during games, he has tried to insert rookies for shorter stretches to give them experience. He did that with starter Christian Benford during his rookie season in 2022, eventually leading to Benford earning a starting role that season.
The Bills will have more roster changes in the coming weeks. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano both remain out with injuries, but they are expected back as early as next week against the New England Patriots.
The Bills will also get two suspended players — defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi — back after Week 6. The team will need to clear two roster spots for them, and if there are no players headed to injured reserve to create an opening then Codrington could be a candidate to be released.
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