Bills T.J. Sanders Dealing With Lingering Knee Issue Despite Return to Practice

T.J. Sanders returned to practice after having an appendectomy, but the Buffalo Bills DT is still dealing with a lingering knee injury.

Buffalo Bills DT T.J. Sanders gets ready to run a drill during the Return of the Blue and Red practice at Highmark Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Bills may have some reinforcements on the way for their defensive line. 2025 second-round pick T.J. Sanders has yet to make his debut this season, but returned to practice on Thursday, just nine days after an appendectomy.

Sanders was surprised to find out he needed surgery, since he told trainers he had an upset stomach and just thought it was due to something he ate. He was initially meeting with trainers to have a look at a lingering knee issue that had kept him out of the first two games of the year. He said it was a shock to be seen for one injury only to find out something else was going to keep him out of action.

“It was like somebody just really slapped me in the face two times,” Sanders said via Nick Sabato of the Niagara Gazette. “Couldn’t catch a break.”

As for his return, Sanders was hopeful to get back on the field Wednesday, but that wasn't the case. Instead, he had to wait until Thursday.

“I kind of had a little hope coming into this week,” Sanders said via Sabato. “I knew (practicing) Wednesday was out of the question. And after yesterday, I felt good enough to go today.”

Sanders's status heading into the weekend remains doubtful, but it was still good to see him moving around at practice. Head coach Brady said during a recent presser that he's still learning his players, and despite being back on the field, an appendectomy can keep a player out for a month.

Knee issue remains a concern for T.J. Sanders

T.J. Sanders gets set before a drill at Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher University. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While he feels good following the surgery, there's still a lingering concern regarding his knee. Sanders had surgery on his right knee last season, forcing him to miss five games. That same knee has been giving him problems, and as Sabato writes, it began to flare up again leading into Sanders' second season.

"Not only did he have the appendectomy, but the knee injury from last season began to flare up at the end of training camp and lingered into the start of the regular season. There’s no future surgeries planned on the knee, instead it’s rest and pain tolerance," Sabato wrote.

The South Carolina product had a frustrating rookie campaign with just 16 tackles and one sack. He did seem to turn a corner under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and was set for a starting role this season. Unfortunately, the knee injury kept him from making his debut.

Now, Sanders is focused on getting back to the form we saw during training camp. For fans, it would be nice to see him begin to make good on the promise he showed coming into the draft, but concerns remain as long as the knee continues to give him problems.

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