The Buffalo Bills may have avoided the worst-case scenario with cornerback Taron Johnson’s injury, an insider shared.
The team’s star nickel cornerback was hurt early in the win over the Arizona Cardinals on September 8, going down with an injury to his forearm and later being ruled out. The team also kept Johnson out of Thursday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, but decided not to keep him out for a longer period.
Reporter Matt Bove of WKBW shared on September 12 that the team offered a good sign for Johnson’s injury in the long term.
“Taron Johnson is NOT being placed on IR, per source. A very good sign for his outlook moving forward,” Bove wrote in a post on X.
Bills Hinted That IR Was on the Table for Taron Johnson
There had been some uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s injury in the days leading up to Thursday’s game against the Dolphins. As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia reported, head coach Sean McDermott hinted that the veteran cornerback may have needed a stint on IR.
“The Bills quickly ruled out Johnson for their upcoming matchup with the Dolphins, though the bigger question is how many more games the injury would cost them,” Buscaglia wrote. “On Monday, McDermott said they were still doing their research on the injury. Then, on Tuesday, when asked if injured reserve was a potential outcome, McDermott didn’t rule it out. Instead, the head coach mentioned that they were seeing what the options were and determining what their best decision would be.”
Had the Bills placed Johnson on injured reserve, he would have been required to miss at least the next four weeks before being eligible to return. The team’s decision this week means Johnson is likely on track to return in time for the team’s October 6 game against the Houston Texans.
With Johnson out, Buscaglia predicted the team would turn to versatile defensive back Cam Lewis to fill in at nickel cornerback.
“There’s little doubt that Lewis will be the starting nickel corner for as long as Johnson is sidelined, but it does raise the question of how much the team will commit to nickel in all situations without their point man in Johnson,” he wrote. “Johnson is the reason they switched to it in the first place in 2021. Should Lewis suffer an injury, their next move would likely be to put Ja’Marcus Ingram in at nickel.”
Bills Dealing With More Injuries
The Bills are still working through another injury on defense as veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot was ruled out for a second straight week. Smoot, who joined the team in free agency after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been dealing with a foot injury that already kept him out of the season opener.
The Bills added some depth by calling up defensive end Kingsley Jonathan from the practice squad on Thursday. Jonathan spent time on the practice squad over the last two seasons but took on a bigger role last year after an injury to Von Miller. He appeared in 13 games, making five total tackles.
The team has another key injury on offense, with quarterback Josh Allen hurting his hand on a fourth-quarter touchdown run against the Cardinals. Though he needed to have the hand taped, Allen was able to return to the game and the team said he would play on Thursday against the Dolphins.
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