Buffalo Elevated a DB and DT Before Sunday's Week 8 Matchup
The Buffalo Bills have been forced to continually shuffled several pieces on defense due to injury this season.
Unfortunately for the Bills, they’ve lost a number of players to injured reserve this year — a group that includes safeties Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin, and Wande Owens, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, cornerback Dorian Strong, and defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.
They’ve also dealt with varying injuries to multiple key defenders including linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard, and rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston. But fortuitously for the Bills, Hairston was activated off injured reserve on Saturday, just 24 hours before the team’s Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
And with so many holes to plug along the defense, the Bills also elevated two players from their practice squad to the 53-man roster to bolster the secondary and defensive line.
“Bills have activated CB Maxwell Hairston from IR!” WGR550’s Sal Capaccio reported. “They have also elevated S Jordan Poyer and DT Jordan Phillips from the practice squad to the active roster for tomorrow's game at Panthers.”
The 33-year-old Phillips has appeared in two games for Buffalo this season, logging three tackles. In his 13-year NFL career, Phillips has totaled 190 tackles, 25 passes defensed, 24 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.
Conversely, Poyer has played in one game for Buffalo this year. The former All-Pro and Pro Bowl defensive back is in his second stint with the Bills. He played for the team from 2017 to 2023 before a one-year stint with the division rival Miami Dolphins last year.
Poyer has 906 total tackles, along with 57 passes defensed, 24 interceptions, 12 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown in his career.
“It’s a great example of unselfishness, of being a part of something bigger than oneself,” McDermott recently told reporters about Poyer playing on the practice squad. “He’s been able to get yourself to embrace that type of attitude, that type of mindset, that doesn’t happen all the time.”
With both Rapp and Hamlin on IR, Poyer is expected to play a more significant role in Buffalo’s defensive backfield over the next few weeks. Cam Lewis is the only other safety on Buffalo’s roster who’s played more than 10 coverage snaps this season.