NFL Injury Report Week 10: Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins
It’s Week 10 in the NFL, and the Buffalo Bills (6-2) head south to steamy Miami to face the struggling Dolphins (4-7) in what’s shaping up to be a high-stakes AFC East clash. Fresh off a statement win over Taylor Swift’s boyfriend’s team, Josh Allen and the Bills are riding momentum and swagger back into division play. The Dolphins, meanwhile, look like a franchise in disarray, having “parted ways” with their GM and shipped off defensive end Jaelan Phillips, leaving head coach Mike McDaniel wishing his seat was colder. With a heat index expected to push into the 90s, conditions will test every ounce of Buffalo’s conditioning, but history says Allen won’t mind the sweat, he’s made Miami his personal playground, and the Dolphins faithful might once again be calling him “daddy” by the time this one’s over.
For Buffalo, the injury carousel continues to spin. The Bills officially placed DE Michael Hoecht (THIGH) on Injured Reserve after he tore his right Achilles tendon in last week’s win over Kansas City, ending his season and adding yet another name to an already overworked medical list. Hoecht joins a growing IR group highlighted by DT Ed Oliver, and including S Damar Hamlin, DTs T.J. Sanders and DeWayne Carter, CB Dorian Strong, OT Tylan Grable, K Tyler Bass, P Cameron Johnston, and S Taylor Rapp. To make matters worse, the team has ruled OUT DE AJ Epenesa and LB Shaq Thompson, while listing CB Christian Benford, CB Taron Johnson, DT DaQuan Jones, and WR Joshua Palmer as QUESTIONABLE heading into Sunday’s divisional clash. There was also a brief scare midweek when RB James Cook missed practice, but he’s since been cleared and will be active in Miami.
Miami isn’t exactly swimming in good health either. The Dolphins are starting to look like squished fish, limping into Week 10 with a roster that’s thinner by the day. Wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge has been ruled OUT, while linebacker Chop Robinson and cornerback Rasul Douglas are both DOUBTFUL. The team also listed four players as QUESTIONABLE; safeties Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu, tight end Julian Hill, and rookie running back Ollie Gordon. Miami’s depth concerns run even deeper with WR Tyreek Hill, CB Artie Burns, and CB Kader Kohou already stashed on Injured Reserve, leaving major holes on both sides of the ball as the season spirals toward disarray.
QUESTIONABLE
CB Christian Benford
Benford’s week started off quietly but quickly turned concerning. After showing no issues in last week’s game, he appeared as a limited participant on Wednesday with a groin injury, followed by a DNP on Thursday that raised eyebrows. He managed to return to limited work on Friday, which suggests the injury isn’t severe, but all signs point to an aggravation that occurred during practice. Given the short rest and the fact that Benford dealt with a similar groin issue back in preseason, I’d expect the team to hold him out this week as a precaution. The good news for Buffalo is that his timeline looks short, expect Benford to bounce back and make a strong push to return by Week 11.
CB Taron Johnson
Johnson’s groin issue has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He originally tweaked it during practice last Friday before the Chiefs game, which kept him sidelined over the weekend. This week began with a DNP on Wednesday, but he responded well and stacked limited sessions on Thursday and Friday, a clear sign that the injury is minor and trending in the right direction. While his game status remains officially questionable, the quick turnaround and positive body language in practice suggest Johnson is on track to suit up Sunday.
WR Joshua Palmer
Palmer continues his cautious march back from injury. After suffering an apparent high ankle sprain and mild MCL sprain in Week 6 against Atlanta, he’s now reached the four-week mark, which is the median return-to-play window for NFL players with a high ankle sprain (Clanton et al., 2000).
He logged back-to-back limited practices at the end of last week and now followed that up with limited sessions all week, giving Bills Mafia hope that he’s either ready to suit up in Week 10 or is almost certainly back in action by Week 11. The team has clearly missed Palmer’s reliable intermediate routes and downfield chemistry with Josh Allen, and his return will provide much-needed spacing for the offense as Buffalo continues to juggle injuries at wide receiver and tight end.
DT DaQuan Jones
Jones is inching closer to a return after missing multiple weeks with a calf injury sustained during warmups ahead of the Week 6 matchup against Atlanta. His calf reportedly “popped” during warmups, a painful déjà vu for the veteran who has dealt with similar strains before, including one that kept him out prior to the Bills’ 2022 playoff loss to Cincinnati.
Calf strains are notorious for sapping explosiveness from interior linemen, especially those anchoring the trenches like Jones. Typical return timelines hover around 2–3 weeks (Werner BC et al., 2017), and now, four weeks post-injury, he’s back to limited participation on Thursday and Friday after a DNP on Wednesday. With that progress, Jones is either set to play this week or can be expected to return by Week 11, much like WR Joshua Palmer.
OUT
DE AJ Epenesa
Epenesa headlines the Bills’ players declared out after unexpectedly being sidelined with a concussion sometime after last week’s game and prior to the start of practice. He was a DNP all week as the team monitored his symptoms closely. The average return-to-play timeline for NFL players following a concussion is around 9 days (Smith et al., 2022), so his absence for Week 10 isn’t surprising. Expect Epenesa to return to practice early next week, putting him on track for a potential Week 11 return.
LB Shaq Thompson
Thompson will be sidelined again this week as he continues to manage a lingering hamstring injury, an on-and-off issue dating back to training camp. Last week, what initially appeared to be a veteran rest day on Wednesday turned into a limited practice, followed by back-to-back DNPs on Thursday and Friday, signaling that the setback was more significant than initially expected. He logged 89% of defensive snaps in the Week 8 game against the Panthers without visible limitations, but soft-tissue injuries like hamstring strains are notorious for recurring when players push too hard late in the season. Given the standard average return-to-play timeline of 13 days for NFL hamstring strains (Strive Tech), it’s not surprising Thompson will miss Week 10. Expect him to resume practice early next week, positioning him for a potential Week 11 return.
ALSO LISTED (ACTIVE)
RB James Cook
Cook is set to play after a brief scare earlier this week. He initially suffered an ankle/foot injury on the first series against the Chiefs when he appeared to be the recipient of what looked like an illegal hip-drop tackle. Though he briefly came off the field, Cook returned with a taped ankle and proceeded to log a season-high 75.7% snap share, totaling 125 yards on 28 touches.
Surprisingly, he was listed as a DNP on Wednesday, creating some suspense about his availability, but he progressed through limited practices and ultimately full participation later in the week. Cook confirmed he’ll be active on Sunday in a recent interview with Kay Adams, signaling he’s ready to carry at least some workload against Miami.
DE Joey Bosa
Bosa is expected to play this week despite clearly favoring his left wrist during the Chiefs game, where he was seen supporting it in obvious discomfort on multiple occasions.
While it’s unclear whether he’s dealing with a sprain or a minor fracture, Bosa was heavily padded in practice this week despite logging a 73.3% snap share last week, his second highest of the season.
With both Michael Hoecht and AJ Epenesa sidelined, Bosa will have to suck it up and play through the pain, anchoring the defensive end rotation for Buffalo as the team looks to maintain its edge in Miami.
LB Terrel Bernard
Bernard will be active Sunday after battling a lingering right ankle injury originally suffered in Week 6 against the Falcons.
The issue appeared to be a low ankle sprain, and unfortunately, this has been a recurring storyline for Bernard over multiple seasons, with ankle problems popping up repeatedly throughout his career. This was most notably in the 2023 playoffs against the Steelers, eerily the same ankle.
The fortunate side of a low sprain is that the recovery timeline is usually forgiving, typically 1–2 weeks (What to Expect: Ankle Sprains, FantasyPoints.com). This led Bernard to be active against the Panthers in Week 8, but in a surprise twist, he logged no snaps, appearing to serve only as an emergency option.
He returned to full action in Week 9 against the Chiefs, seeing a 98% snap share, and after finishing this week with back-to-back full practices, he is poised to contribute fully against Miami on Sunday.
DT Jordan Phillips
Phillips is set to play this week despite being listed with a wrist issue. He was a full participant in practice all week, showing no limitations ahead of Sunday’s game. Notably, Phillips previously underwent wrist surgery that ended his 2023 season with the Bills, but he appears fully recovered and ready to anchor the defensive line against Miami.
Feature Image via AP Photo/Adrian Kraus
