Bills Central

Two key Bills players return from injury before Divisional Round vs. Broncos

A critical defense player and offensive player both have a chance to play against Denver this weekend.
Alex Brasky|
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) is sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) is sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills may be getting two key players back in time for a critical Divisional Round matchup with the Denver Broncos.

Sean McDermott announced on Monday that defensive tackle Ed Oliver and wide receiver Curtis Samuel will both have their 21-day window to return from Injured Reserve opened this week leading into the postseason tilt against the AFC West champions.

RELATED: Ed Oliver's return 'not out of question' for possible Bills' Divisional Round matchup

Ed Oliver
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) warms up prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Lengthy absences

Oliver has been out since sustaining a bicep injury during a Week 8 win over the Carolina Panthers. He was placed on IR on Oct. 28 and later underwent surgery to repair his ailment. He was expected to return to practice by the start of the postseason, but a knee injury suffered during the rehab process required an additional procedure and kept him out for additional time.

Samuel has been out since he was injured during a Week 11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was placed on IR on Nov. 28 due to elbow and neck ailments.

MORE: Josh Allen gives 2-word response when updating injury status before game vs. Broncos

Before they were sidelined

Prior to his lengthy absence, Oliver was tearing through the competition, recording 12 tackles, three sacks and five quarterback hits. His seven tackles for loss are still tied for third on the team despite him appearing in just three games on the year.

Samuel has been a different story. His two years since signing a lucrative contract with the Bills during the 2024 offseason have been disappointing.

During the 2025 campaign, he has appeared in six games, recording just seven receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. With that said, after fellow wide receiver Gabe Davis was declared out for the year with a torn ACL sustained during the win over the Jaguars, the Bills are down to four WRs on their active roster and may need Samuel to fill the void moving forward.

RELATED: Bills could get 3 star reinforcements back in time for Divisional Round vs. Broncos

Curtis Samuel
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (1) runs during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

Samuel did have a big game against the Broncos in last year’s Wild-Card Round, finishing a 31-7 win with three receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.

It remains unclear if either player will indeed play against Denver. We will learn more once the first injury report of the week is released on Tuesday, and then potential roster moves are announced later in the week.

Buffalo will square off with the Broncos on Saturday. The time of the game has yet to be determined.

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Alex Brasky
ALEX BRASKY

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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