Buffalo Bills Injury Impact Illustrated by Key Salary Cap Stat
The Buffalo Bills aren't even halfway through the season, yet their injury report is already a mile long.
Buffalo has already lost some of its most important players, like cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano, for the entire year. Other key players, such as tight end Dawson Knox, are out for a while with injuries, albeit not the entire season. Even quarterback Josh Allen has dealt with nagging injuries throughout the season, as have several other players.
To see how much injuries have impacted the Bills, one need look no further than this key stat. According to Spotrac, the Bills currently have over $35 million, or 16.03 percent of their salary cap, on injured reserve, both being the most in the league.
Cornerback Tre'Davious White is one of many Bills players currently on IR.
© Tina MacIntyre-Yee, Democrat and Chronicle
White accounts for by far the biggest cap hit of the bunch, with a cap hit of over $16 million and 7.13 percent of the salary cap. Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones also carry a sizable hit, accounting for 3.11 percent and 3.77 percent of the cap, respectively. The other four players on IR, being running back Damien Harris, offensive lineman Tommy Doyle, receiver Justin Shorter and tight end Zach Davidson, all account for less than one percent of the cap each.
While the Bills have the most money on IR, they do not have the most players on IR. That "honor" goes to the New York Jets, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons, who each have 11 players on IR to Buffalo's seven. However, that just goes to show how many key players the Bills have lost this season.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Cincinnati Bengals have the least amount of money on IR with under $1.6 million or 0.74 percent of the cap, being the only team under one percent. They also have the fewest players on IR with only three, tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers.
The Bills' sheer number of injuries are certainly weighing on them, and as they try to compete for a Super Bowl, they must figure out how to overcome it.
