As the lone remaining unbeaten team in the AFC, the Bills couldn’t have asked for much more to begin the 2025 season. Some of their playoff rival teams have struggled out of the gate, allowing the Bills to vault to the top of the conference standings, with some cushion to boot.
The same goes for the division. The Bills enter Week 5 already with a two-game lead, having beaten the Jets and Dolphins, with the opportunity to make it three AFC East wins in a row when they take on the Patriots at Highmark Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.” However, this New England team is a step up from the other two AFC East foes, starting the year 2-2, while losing by only a touchdown in each of their two defeats.
How does the Bills-Patriots matchup look this week, and what could happen with the Bills roster in the next few weeks? Here is our Week 5 Bills notebook, beginning with the Bills potentially getting some sorely needed help.
Is help on the way for the Bills for SNF?
The Bills have been operating a bit short-handed, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Ed Oliver, their top defender from the Week 1 win over the Ravens, has been out since a mid-week ankle injury ahead of their Week 2 contest. On top of that, linebacker Matt Milano suffered a pectoral injury in the first half against the Jets in Week 2 and missed the next two games. For the first time since those injuries, promisingly, both players were on the practice field to begin the week on Wednesday.
Through Thursday, both players logged back-to-back limited sessions, which is certainly an encouraging sign for their availability on Sunday. Oliver looked to be moving around and pushing off the ankle well during practice. Milano went through his usual routine of positional work when he’s fully healthy. Though you can’t know for certain, as the Bills have been generally conservative with injuries, both Oliver and Milano have operated this week like two players closing in on a return. The same goes for right tackle Spencer Brown, who logged his third straight limited practice on Thursday after getting back on the field last Friday to jumpstart his path to return to action. Brown sat out against the Saints with a calf injury, but of the three injured players, he looks the likeliest to return this Sunday against the Patriots. All three appear to be trending in the right direction through Thursday.
Rookie injuries unexpectedly emerge
Even with potentially good news for the trio that have missed games, there are two injuries from Thursday that warrant close attention heading into the weekend. The first is to rookie cornerback Dorian Strong, who went from practicing without any limitations and staying off the injury report on Wednesday, to being a complete non-participant on Thursday due to a neck injury. Strong was not spotted doing any work with the strength and conditioning staff around the field during the open portion of practice. If he can’t play, that likely pushes Ja’Marcus Ingram back into the game day roster as the primary backup to starters Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White.
The other is rookie defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, who popped up on the injury report Thursday as limited with a knee injury. For context, Sanders was on the field and participating when the media could see the practice, which was a lighter session. It is worth noting that both head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane remained out at the practice field for longer than usual. Beane had a fairly long conversation with the team’s head athletic trainer, Nate Breske, as well. Whether that’s related to Sanders, Strong or any of the other players trying to return from injury remains to be seen. Should Sanders miss the game, the Bills would need to elevate a defensive tackle from the practice squad. Zion Logue has only one call-up remaining in 2025, while Jordan Phillips hasn’t practiced at all this week because of a personal matter. The team also has Phidarian Mathis, who only signed with the team a few weeks ago. It could be an especially dire situation should Oliver and Sanders have to miss the game, which may necessitate a roster move of some kind.
With suspended and IR players nearing a return, let’s talk roster spots
With the NFL shifting to Week 5, the Bills are allowed to open the 21-day practice window for rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston, offensive tackle Tylan Grable and kicker Tyler Bass. It does not mean the team has to open the window, and the players can remain on IR as long as they see fit, but the option exists since all three have missed the required four games. On top of that, the Bills are now only two games away from defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi having served their six-game suspensions. While the Bills are getting closer to full capacity, that means the team has several difficult upcoming decisions.
If the Bills were to bring all five back, that’s five spots on the 53-man roster they’d need to create. Who could be removed from their 53-man roster to make room for those coming back? Here are nine candidates.
WR Curtis Samuel — A healthy scratch through the first three games, Samuel had a larger role than expected on offense in Week 4 while also returning kickoffs. Though without a distinctive role, he could be a trade candidate at some point this year. However, he does have a bigger salary that could be tougher to move.
WR Tyrell Shavers — Shavers has been an every-week special teams contributor, though his involvement went from being one of their every-unit players to having his role slightly reduced over the last two games. Shavers has a small offensive role and has had the fewest receiver snaps each week over the last three. However, he is the only receiver who plays special teams in a non-returner role and can play all three receiver spots.
OT Ryan Van Demark — While the Bills likely wouldn’t outright cut Van Demark, he could be a trade candidate to help get Grable back on the 53-man roster. The two play the same position, though Grable is more versatile and passed Van Demark on the depth chart in 2024. His in-game experience, compared to the rest of the group, could also dissuade the Bills from trying to move him.
OT Chase Lundt — A sixth-round pick in 2025, the team liked Lundt’s versatility to play at four different positions during the preseason. However, Lundt has no in-game NFL experience and is an every-week healthy scratch if the Bills’ offensive line is completely healthy. While they do like Lundt, they love Grable’s ability and potential.
DE Javon Solomon — The second-year defensive end doesn’t have a humongous defensive role as it is, even when the team has only four edge rushers active. When Hoecht returns, those defensive reps may not exist at all. At the same time, Solomon is a core-four special teams asset and has one of the highest snap percentages on those units of anyone on the team. If they feel they could get by without Solomon on special teams, he could be someone they look at.
CB Ja’Marcus Ingram — Ingram is the fourth boundary cornerback on the depth chart, clearly behind Strong as the primary backup. When Ingram is active, the team has given him a little over half of the core-four special teams snaps. Strong’s neck injury bears watching, as that could improve Ingram’s situation.
S Sam Franklin Jr. — Franklin went from practice squad player to getting added to the 53-man roster just ahead of Week 1. He also went from being one of the stronger candidates to be removed to find room on the 53-man roster to looking a lot more secure. Franklin has easily been one of their best and most used special teams assets all season. However, because he doesn’t play on defense at all, it’s a slight luxury to keep him.
KR/PR Brandon Codrington — Throughout the summer, Codrington didn’t have much competition for the return specialist role. He opened the season as both the primary kickoff and punt returner. Codrington’s decision-making on punt returns in Week 3, along with the Bills wanting to get a look at Samuel, helped lead to the Bills making Codrington inactive for Week 4. It remains to be seen if that trend continues in Week 5.
Brandon Codrington is one of the likely candidates to be removed from the 53-man roster to make room for returning players. (Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)
Who would the Bills part with first on this list?
While the Bills may need four spots in time, the good news for them is that they don’t need to force the issue with any of the injured players. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if they keep all of their injured players stored until, at least, after the team’s bye in Week 7. At least at this point, the most immediate needs for roster adjustment are when Hoecht and Ogunjobi are eligible to return following their suspensions.
The Bills do not have to immediately bring Hoecht and Ogunjobi onto the active roster in Week 7, as teams are granted a one-week roster exemption for a player’s full return. But because they have their bye in Week 7, and generally don’t practice during the bye week, that one-week exemption loses a lot of its power for onboarding — a piece of the puzzle the Bills are likely not fond of. That means the Bills are most likely to clear the necessary roster spots during Week 8, leading up to their game against the Panthers.
When those two spots are needed in Week 8 and if no trade happens, I think the two most likely candidates are Codrington and Ingram. The Bills already took a pronounced step back from Codrington in Week 4 by making him a healthy scratch, and have other roster options to do both of Codrington’s primary functions as the returner. Without any other special teams functionality or a defensive role, Codrington is the easiest answer.
Ingram would be their most difficult because they kept him last year, though he’s been inactive over the last two weeks. Ingram plays on special teams, but isn’t a core-four asset when active. Even if he were to be claimed on waivers, the Bills still have Dane Jackson stashed on the practice squad, and the team is hoping to get Hairston back on the roster at some point. If the Bills had their way, they’d probably like to get both Codrington and Ingram back on the practice squad for the stretch run.
Beyond that, the Bills may play the waiting game for their injured players, instead waiting to see if any longer-term injuries occur, rather than removing a player from their roster. However, if that doesn’t happen in a timely enough fashion, their hand could be forced. Hairston is the one most will have an eye on because of when he was drafted, but even if he’s on the 53-man roster, he may begin as a healthy scratch due to all the missed practice time and his lack of special teams function. Finding a spot for him is somewhat difficult at the moment. Adding Grable without removing an offensive lineman from the 53-man roster would give the Bills 10, which is more than they usually keep, as it undercuts their special teams units with one fewer player. As long as Prater is kicking as well as he is, there is no need to rush the one-for-one swap with Bass to return.
Bills projected practice squad elevations: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Bills projected inactives: OT Chase Lundt, DE Landon Jackson, LB Dorian Williams, CB Dorian Strong, S Jordan Hancock, KR/PR Brandon Codrington
(**Subject to change after Friday’s practice, especially with more information on DT T.J. Sanders.)
Prediction: Bills 33, Patriots 22
The Patriots look much-improved on film. They boast excellent toughness on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and most importantly, they seem to have found their answer at quarterback in Drake Maye. The second-year starter could be a handful for the Bills. His ability to get out and run and make timely decisions is enough to keep the Patriots offense moving. He’s good for one or two turnover-worthy throws and decisions during the game, which will give the Bills an opportunity to command the turnover battle.
On offense, the Bills may find their most pronounced advantage when throwing the ball against the Patriots’ secondary. The Bills surely won’t abandon what has been one of the best rushing offenses in the league, especially if top Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams doesn’t play. However, in what looks to be a game that features two quality offenses that can put up points, there might need to be more of a reliance on the Bills’ passing game this weekend. Ultimately, I think this game could be a tightly contested matchup through the first two to three quarters, with the Bills pulling away after capitalizing on some untimely Patriots turnovers to secure another victory.
(Top photo of Matt Milano and Ed Oliver: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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