Ed Oliver displays incredible progress as Buffalo Bills' DT recovers from surgery

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As the playoffs draw nearer, a key Buffalo Bills’ defensive player continues to trend toward a possible return.
Ed Oliver was placed on Injured Reserve on Oct. 28 and had surgery to repair a torn biceps shortly thereafter. But seemingly as soon as he got off the operating table, he has continuously displayed positive signs of progression amid his recovery.
And on Tuesday, that trend continued, as Oliver was captured taking a significant step forward in his rehab in a TikTok video posted to @DymonDrakell.
RELATED: Ed Oliver gets positive update from Bills' HC ahead of Week 14 matchup vs. Bengals

Looking good
During the clip, Oliver completes a number of pushups before rising to his feet and flexing triumphantly. Additionally, in other videos posted to the account featuring clips of Oliver and his family, the Bills’ DT lifts and tosses his children, showing no ill effects from the procedure he underwent in late October.
The clip of Oliver enjoying time with his children is captioned, “Watching the progression of his arm starting from having to be in a brace at a 90 degree angle to straight in less than a month is a testament to how Resilient & Hardworking this man is. I’m a firm believer in God makes no mistakes. Minor setback for a MAJOR comeback.”
Another clip’s caption reads, “Rehab but Ed’s way.”
MORE: Buffalo Bills DT Ed Oliver shows progress, offers encouraging update amid recovery
Another great post by Ed Oliver.
— Banged Up Bills (@BangedUpBills) December 10, 2025
The biceps doesn’t do a lot during a push up, it’s more of an elbow stabilizer, but he’s only 6 weeks removed from surgery.
Regular people are just getting out of the brace at 6 weeks & performing PROM & gravity eliminated activities. pic.twitter.com/v7iqkmqBTy
Significant boost
Oliver has appeared in just three games for the Bills this season and hasn’t suited up since Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers. He dealt with an ankle injury early in the year, which forced him to miss four games before he returned in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons and was lost due to injury the following week.
In his brief time on the field, Oliver has been one of the team’s most effective defensive players, having recorded a sack in each of his three games played, during which he has totaled seven tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 11 stops and a quarterback pressure rate of 13.7%, which would be a career high for the seven-year pro.
Also, re: Ed Oliver, there are these videos from November 28 pic.twitter.com/l0gPTK5raD
— Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) December 10, 2025
The Bills’ pass rush as a whole began the season among the most effective in the league, but has taken a significant step back in recent weeks. Top edge rusher Joey Bosa was out in Week 14 due to a hamstring injury and has also been dealing with a wrist injury that has inhibited his performance in recent weeks.
If the Bills can get Oliver back in time for the postseason, as has been the team’s expectation, and Bosa can also get fully healthy, this pass-rushing unit could return to the ranks of the elite just in time for a Super Bowl run.
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Alex Brasky is editor of Bills Digest and host of the Buffalo Pregame podcast. He has been on the Bills beat the past six seasons and now joins Sports Illustrated hoping to expand his coverage of Buffalo’s favorite football team.
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