Bills' WR Week 6 Injury Outlook: When Will DJ Moore, Josh Palmer Return to Action?

The Buffalo Bills' receiving corps faced the Los Angeles Rams without the services of veterans DJ Moore and Josh Palmer, and their absences were more than noticeable.

In the 37-34 overtime road win, Bills' wide receivers combined for 87 yards on four receptions.

Khalil Shakir's three catches for 80 yards and Keon Coleman's seven-yard touchdown grab accounted for the position group's only production on Monday Night Football in Week 5. Fourth-round rookie Skyler Bell was unsuccessfully targeted twice while Trent Sherfield and Khalil Shakir got no looks.

To say the offense will be better off once both veterans, especially Moore, return is quite the understatement. As for when that will happen, no real hints emerged on Wednesday at the Bills practiced at UC Irvine.

Josh Palmer — Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (5) rushes for a touchdown against Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (3) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buffalo held a walkthrough, meaning all practice participation statuses on the official injury report are only estimations. Moore was a non-participant while Palmer was deemed limited.

"We're going through a walkthrough today, so it's really not gonna be able to tell us much. We'll kinda see how it looks tomorrow," said Brady on Wednesday.

Although Brady was specifically answering a question about starting right tackle Spencer Brown, who left Monday's win after 16 snaps, the statement also applies to Moore and Palmer.

DJ Moore injury details and timeline

Moore has been dealing with an AC joint sprain since Week 2 when he landed hard on his shoulder while diving for a pass in the end zone late during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions.

Fighting through what mainly appeared to be a pain tolerance issue, Moore suited up in Weeks 3 and 4 despite being limited during practice. He reaggravated the injury in the first half against the New England Patriots on October 4, and missed the remainder of the 29-26 loss.

Moore was a non-participant at the first two practices in Week 5. After getting on the field in a limited capacity on Saturday, he was officially questionable for the Monday road game.

Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore #2 runs after making a catch as New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane #14 and New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss #53 defend | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Apparently unable to go, Moore was scratched prior to kickoff, ending his 91-game consecutive appearance streak. Even with the bye week looming, one has to think more wants to get bqck out there as soon as possible.

"No one's gonna be 100 percent healthy right now. We just played a Monday night game. We're five weeks into the season. It's part of the growing. If guys can be out there, the anticipation is for them to be out there," said Brady prior to Wednesday's

When asked how Moore handled sitting out in Week 5, Brady took a long pause before simply saying "yeah," and moving onto the next question.

Josh Palmer injury details and timeline

After plagued by a lingering knee/ankle throughout much of a disappointing 2025 campaign, Palmer was healthy as the Bills kicked off 2026.

Unfortunately, his availability streak ended at four games due to a shoulder injury that he picked up during last Friday's practice. After initially appearing on the injury report as limited, Palmer missed Saturday's practice and was ruled out for the game.

"He got kind of twisted up yesterday in practice. We're still kinda going through some of the testing and whatnot," said Brady on Saturday.

The fact that Palmer was estimated as limited, as opposed to a non-participant, on Wednesday is a positive sign. Practice participation, however, has not necessarily been a factor in determining whether the injured player will be available on game day.

"There's going to be guys that aren't going to be out there today that still have a chance at playing, and probably are going to play this weekend," said Brady earlier this month.

The Bills will practice again on Thursday in Irvine as they prepare to visit the Las Vegas Raiders on October 18.

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