$68 Million Defender Expected to Miss a Few Games with Biceps Injury
When he’s been healthy this season, defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been a wrecking ball for the Buffalo Bills defense.
The problem is injuries have limited the talented defensive lineman to just three appearances through the first seven games of the year.
Oliver started Sunday’s Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, and after recording three tackles, a sack, a stuff, and a QB hits, Oliver exited again with another injury.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported after the game that Oliver is expected to miss more time with a devastating biceps injury.
“Bills standout DT Ed Oliver biceps injury is a key one to watch,” Wolfe wrote on X. “I’m told the injury will force Oliver to miss game action. Tests coming to determine how long. Oliver, who got a sack today, had his left arm in a sling after the game. Another blow to #Bills thin DT room.”
The news is a gut-punch to a Bills defense that’s really struggled in recent weeks to stop the run.
Oliver is seemingly taking the news pretty hard as well, as evidenced by the cryptic message he posted on his Instagram story shortly after Sunday’s game.
“Me and football like oil and water rn,” he stated.
It’s not known how many games Oliver is expected to miss exactly, but judging from his social media activity, it sounds like it could be a few.
The 27-year-old lineman has had some injury issues in the past—he’s missed eight games over his previous three seasons—but he’s never been as injury plagued as he seems to be this year.
Oliver is arguably Buffalo’s top defensive tackle. In his absence, there’s more pressure on Deone Walker, DaQuan Jones, Jordan Phillips, and Zion Logue to carry the DT group with T.J. Sanders also on injured reserve.
That group has combined for 15 pressures, 11 hurries, three sacks, and one QB hit this season, per Pro Football Focus.