NFL Week 8 Injury Report: Buffalo Bills vs Carolina Panthers
It’s Week 8 down in Charlotte, and the Buffalo Bills (4-2) are rolling into Bank of America Stadium with a mix of fresh legs and lingering frustration. Fresh off a much-needed bye week, and let’s be honest, a reset for Josh Allen, who absolutely spent the downtime getting his groove back with a little help from girlfriend Hailee Steinfeld and a gentle nudge from his grandma to smile more. Buffalo is itching to break out of a two-game skid and reclaim their spot among the AFC contenders. The Carolina Panthers (4-3), meanwhile, are heating up at the right time, riding a three-game win streak and turning a shaky start into real NFC Wild Card momentum.
But this matchup isn’t just about vibes and rebound energy, it’s about survival through injuries. The Bills enter Week 8 banged-up once again, with LB Matt Milano, LB Terrel Bernard, and TE Dalton Kincaid all listed as QUESTIONABLE heading into Sunday. Two key contributors won’t be suiting up: DT DaQuan Jones and WR Joshua Palmer are officially OUT, while S Taylor Rapp is headed to injured reserve. The good news? Buffalo finally injects some muscle back into the defensive front, welcoming back recently reinstated DE Michael Hoecht and DT Larry Ogunjobi. Plus, promising rookie corner Maxwell Hairston is now in his 21-day practice window, though a return is more likely around Week 10.
Carolina isn’t exactly strutting into this matchup fully loaded either. Starting QB Bryce Young is DOUBTFUL with an ankle injury, leaving the Panthers likely turning to their backup, and one-time Buffalo playoff drought savior, Andy Dalton. Offensive line depth remains shaky too with premier guard Robert Hunt still on IR, creating potential chaos against a Buffalo defense that can feast when fully energized.
OUT (Added to IR)
S Taylor Rapp
Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp has been placed on injured reserve (IR) after re-aggravating a lingering knee issue that traces all the way back to training camp. The team has kept details close to the vest, but in my opinion, the nature of the recurrence suggests a potential meniscus or cartilage complication rather than a simple soft-tissue strain. When knee symptoms flare repeatedly over months, especially during the ramp-up of the regular season, a scope becomes a real possibility. That procedure typically leads to a 4–6 week return timeline. At a minimum, Rapp’s appearance on the IR makes Week 12 the earliest date he can return.
The move to IR may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Rapp has looked far from his 2024 form, with a noticeable dip in tackling reliability. Fans have been vocal about the decline, and a structured recovery period gives both Rapp and the coaching staff a reset instead of forcing him to grind through something clearly limiting him. Buffalo still values his versatility and the hope is that Rapp returns late in the season looking like the difference-maker the Bills expected.
Designated to Return from IR (QUESTIONABLE)
The Bills have officially opened the 21-day practice window for rookie corner Maxwell Hairston, a major step forward after he suffered an LCL sprain near the end of training camp. He is roughly 12 weeks removed from the original injury, which places him right in the sweet spot for a return from a moderate LCL issue. Recovery for these injuries can lag when cutting and lateral power are involved, so it was notable that Hairston still took the field in a light knee brace this week as he ramps things back up.
Sean McDermott poured a little cold water on the hype by telling reporters to keep expectations modest for now. It tracks with both the position he plays and the long layoff he has endured. Hairston has not practiced since late July, so every rep this week counts more toward timing and confidence than immediate contributions. The team has the flexibility to wait until Week 10 or even Week 11 to officially elevate him to the 53-man roster. Giving the rookie a full practice runway feels like the priority rather than rushing him into action.
Fans are understandably buzzing because Hairston looks fluid again. His movement pops when he plants and opens his hips. Rookie corners rarely ignite this kind of midseason anticipation, especially ones coming off a ligament injury. Buffalo is clearly betting on him to be part of the solution as the secondary keeps taking hits, although patience remains the smarter play in the short term.
QUESTIONABLE
TE Dalton Kincaid
Dalton Kincaid enters Week 8 still fighting through the oblique injury he suffered against New England back in Week 5. He already missed Buffalo’s Week 6 matchup, so he’s now about three weeks removed from the initial injury. Mild oblique injuries usually land in the 2–4 week range, which puts him right on schedule for a return. The general belief inside and outside the building is that he plays this Sunday, even if the Bills keep him on a bit of a pitch count.
There’s a little added intrigue with Kincaid because of how loudly the front office challenged him this offseason. Brandon Beane essentially called for more durability and physicality in year three. Fast-forward a few months and we’ve already seen him limited in camp with a knee issue and now sidelined with the oblique. That context makes his snap share worth paying attention to. He’s only been on the field for 42% of Buffalo’s offensive plays this year, which is extremely low for a first-round tight end who is highly effective when targeted. It raises the fair question: has he already been grinding through something under the surface before this latest injury popped?
LB Terrel Bernard
Linebacker Terrel Bernard tweaked his right ankle in the Bills’ last outing against the Falcons, which appeared to be a low ankle sprain. Unfortunately this has been a repeat storyline for Bernard over the past couple seasons, with recurring ankle issues popping up multiple times throughout his career. The fortunate side of a low sprain is that the recovery timeline is usually pretty forgiving, typically 1–2 weeks (What to Expect: Ankle Sprains, FantasyPoints.com).
Bernard logged limited participation in every practice this week, which is exactly what you want to see for a player pushing toward availability. The Bills have been cautious, but his movement hasn’t shown any alarming restrictions. Given the two weeks of recovery, the expectation should be that he plays on Sunday.
LB Matt Milano
Matt Milano continues to battle the lingering pectoral injury that first cropped up in Week 2. He aggravated the same area two weeks ago against the Patriots and was held out of Buffalo’s Week 6 game entirely. That means he enters this matchup with three full weeks of recovery time. Earlier in the season, that same three-week window was enough to get him cleared to return in Week 5. The catch is what happened next: Milano lasted just one half before the pec flared again.
Mentionable, according to a 2021 NFL study, about 45% of pec strains don’t require surgery, and the average return-to-play timeline hovers around 47 days. But not all pec injuries are created equal: recovery can swing dramatically depending on whether it’s a Grade 1 or Grade 2 strain, and this is where things get tricky. He was a limited participant in practice all week, moving well enough to keep hope alive. The Bills haven’t slammed the door on him playing, although they it would be wise to protect him. With how well Shaq Thompson and Dorian Williams stepped up in his absence, Buffalo has the luxury of playing the long game instead of rolling the dice on a re-aggravation for the second time in a month.
OUT
DT DaQuan Jones
DaQuan Jones has officially been ruled OUT this week after suffering a calf injury that reportedly “popped” during warmups ahead of the Falcons game two weeks ago. It was a rough bit of déjà vu. Jones has dealt with calf issues before, including the one that kept him out during the lead-up to the Bills’ 2022 season playoff loss to Cincinnati. Calf strains are notorious for zapping explosiveness from big interior linemen, especially when they anchor the trenches like Jones does. Typical return timelines hover around 2–3 weeks (see Werner BC et al., 2017).
The good news is this setback doesn’t seem to be of the season-derailing variety. Jones was unable to practice at all this week, which made his OUT status pretty clear early on. Although he remains sidelined, Week 9 feels like a very realistic target if his recovery keeps trending the right direction.
WR Joshua Palmer
Joshua Palmer exited the Falcons game early after suffering what appears to be a high ankle sprain, a tougher type of ankle injury that typically carries a longer recovery timeline than a low ankle sprain. The median return-to-play window for NFL players after a high ankle sprain hovers around 4 weeks (see Clanton et al., 2000).
Palmer’s situation is compounded by a knee injury sustained on the same play. Based on the mechanism, he likely suffered an MCL sprain in addition to the ankle issue. Fortunately, MCL sprains generally recover fairly quickly, with a 2–4 week timeline, and can often heal concurrently while the ankle rests. Entering this weekend, Palmer is only two weeks removed from the incident, making a return for Week 8 risky. Expect him to be back on the field no later than Week 10, assuming both injuries progress without setbacks.
Also Listed (Active)
WR Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel missed Week 6 against the Falcons with a combination of neck and rib issues and enters Week 8 still officially listed with “ribs” as the primary concern. He has had three full weeks of recovery heading into this matchup, and the good news is he’s fully available. Samuel was limited earlier in the week in practice but returned to full participation on Friday, signaling that whatever injury he sustained is largely healed.
Given the timeline, it’s likely Samuel is dealing with a simple bruised rib or possibly a minor, single rib fracture. While he may still feel some lingering discomfort, it hasn’t prevented him from taking full reps and will not keep him off the field. He will be active on game day, with any residual soreness likely managed through pain management, padding, and selective usage early in the contest.
Players of Injured Reserve (IR)
Damar Hamlin: Safety
T.J. Sanders: Defensive Tackle
Dorian Strong: Cornerback
Cameron Johnston: Punter
Tyler Bass: Kicker
DeWayne Carter: Defensive Tackle
Tylan Grable: Tackle
Feature Image: Photo by AP Photo/Danny Karnik
