Rookie Landon Jackson's rookie season has been sidelined by an injury that reduces the Buffalo Bills' already thin defensive line.
Landon Jackson was finally set to play a bigger role for the Buffalo Bills due to a number of injuries on the defensive line. Unfortunately, for him and the Bills, his chance was cut short by, you guessed it, an injury.
Less than five minutes into Buffalo’s 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Jackson was engaged in a block on an Ollie Gordon II run. While trying to get away from the block to make the tackle, Jackson was rolled into by teammate Phidarian Mathis. With his leg planted, Jackson’s right leg was hit and bent in a way that no leg should bend. He immediately went down and had to be helped off the field.
Shortly after he was ruled out for the game, but no one knew the extent of the injury. Until now, at least.
According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, Jackson suffered a torn MCL and PCL. He’s expected to make a full recovery, but the team is still “evaluating a timeline” for his recovery. With the significance of the injury, it’s likely that Jackson will miss the rest of the regular season and, possibly, some offseason work and camps as he recovers.
Jackson was a third-round pick for the Bills in the 2025 NFL Draft. After having what the team believed to be a subpar training camp, Jackson often found himself inactive on gamedays. He played in just three games this season, seeing the field for 30 defensive snaps and 13 special teams plays.
With Jackson out, Buffalo depth on the defensive line continues to dwindle. The team finished Sunday with just three healthy defensive ends in Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, and Javon Solomon. They could be getting A.J. Epenesa back this week, but that still leaves them with little depth at the position.
It might be time for general manager Brandon Beane to bring in some free agent backup as the Bills get ready for a critical game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.