Man, talk about a rough start to the season for T.J. Sanders with the Buffalo Bills. This dude’s second season is already turning into a nightmare, and now he’s out after undergoing an appendectomy. Joe Brady confirmed the news but didn’t give any timetable for his recovery, which is never a good sign, right?
A Season of Setbacks, Not Sacks
Sanders, a former second-round pick, just can’t catch a break. He dinged up his knee in practice before Week 1 against the Texans and was inactive. That knee injury stuck around for Week 2 against the Lions, keeping him sidelined again. On top of that, he’s been battling an illness. Remember last season? He was already on IR with a knee injury. It feels like every time you blink, Sanders is dealing with something new. The guy was pegged as the “biggest X-factor” on Buffalo’s defense pre-season, but he’s underachieved so far, and this appendectomy? It’s just another massive bump in the road. You gotta feel for him, but the Bills need him healthy and firing in Jim Leonhard’s system, and this just pushes that timeline back.
Bills Bring Back a Familiar Face
So, with Sanders out, the Bills wasted no time making a move. On Wednesday, they signed a familiar veteran, Austin Johnson, to their practice squad. Johnson, now 32 years old, actually spent the 2024 campaign in Buffalo. He logged 353 snaps that year, including 21 in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. He’s mostly a run-lane clogger, not exactly a pass-rush specialist, with only eight pressures on 187 pass-rush snaps, but he did make 10 stops against the run. Before his last stint with the Bills, he played for the Chargers in 2022 and 2023, the Giants for two seasons, and started his career with four years with the Titans. It’s not a flashy signing, but it’s a move to get some depth with their defensive line already facing issues.
What does this mean going forward? The Bills D-line just lost a guy who was supposed to be a major impact player, and they’re bringing back a run-stuffing vet for the practice squad. They’ll need Sanders back on the field, fully healthy and integrated into the system, if they want to get this defense firing like it should. Until then, it’s patching holes and hoping for the best.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
Leave a Reply