Three Buffalo Bills' starters OUT, two questionable for Week 18 vs. New York Jets

Sean McDermott declared three players out for the Buffalo Bills’ Week 18 matchup with the New York Jets, while two others are also in danger of missing the team’s season finale.

Safety Jordan Poyer, linebacker Terrel Bernard and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones will all be absent when Buffalo hosts the Jets for what could be the final game inside the current Highmark Stadium, per the Bills’ head coach. Edge rusher Joey Bosa (hamstring) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) are each questionable.

Second straight week

It will be the second straight game that Poyer has been sidelined after he sustained a hamstring injury late during a Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns. Prior to his injury, Poyer had come on midseason to solidify the back end of the Bills’ secondary, playing alongside second-year safety Cole Bishop and performing well in his second stint in Buffalo.

Through 10 games this season, Poyer has recorded 70 tackles, which is second on the team, while his presence opposite Bishop has helped the Bills’ 2024 second-round pick flourish in his first season as a defensive starter.

In his absence this past week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cam Lewis earned the start at safety. Lewis played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps against the Eagles, finishing with five tackles.

MORE: Special send-off planned as Buffalo Bills cast Highmark Stadium off into the sunset

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Down again

Bernard is set to miss his fifth game of the season due to injury, with a calf ailment sidelining him this time around. He sustained the injury early during this past week’s loss to Philadelphia and was replaced by Shaq Thompson, as has been the case during Bernard's various absences this season.

Thompson has been a stalwart defender for the Bills, helping boost one of the league’s worst run defenses during his time on the field. Thompson has started just six games this season but is fourth on the team in defensive stops, per Next Gen Stats.

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott talks with linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) during the second half of the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Missing a piece

Jones has been one of the mainstays inside on the Bills’ defensive line this season, as the team has dealt with a siege of injuries not only on the interior, but also along the outside at the edge rusher position. As a result, Jones was forced to play out of position at defensive end at times this year, but in doing so, he performed admirably. He is tied for fourth on the team with three sacks this season.

Along with Poyer, it will also be the second straight absence for Jones, whose presence has been replaced by rookie defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, who has seen an uptick in playing time since his counterpart was lost due to injury. Sanders played a whopping 65% of the Bills’ defensive snaps against the Eagles, which is a significant increase from his season average of 42%.

DaQuan Jones — Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Daquan Jones (92) reacts after an interception against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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