Bills' WR amongst six non-participants as preparation for Jaguars ramps up

The Buffalo Bills listed six non-participants on the week's first injury report ahead of Sunday's road playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and, fortunately, starting quarterback Josh Allen was not one of them.

Fighting through a foot injury the past couple weeks, Allen fully participated during the Bills' walkthrough on Wednesday in Orchard Park. It a noticeable improvement from his status this time last week, and it signals that it will be all systems go when Buffalo visits the Jaguars for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on January 11.

Unfortunately, one of the Bills' wide receivers landed back on the injury report on Wednesday. Joshua Palmer, who was not on the list last week, is presumably still feeling effects from the ankle injury he suffered back on October 13.

After playing 84 percent of snaps in the January 4 regular season finale against the New York Jets, Palmer did not practice on Wednesday.

Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer (5) is tackled by. Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the first half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Two new injuries

Rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston and running back Ty Johnson were both banged up during the Week 18 win over the New York Jets. Neither practiced on Wednesday.

While Hairston's ankle injury is likely to make him unavailable for Sunday, Johnson's ankle issue doesn't seem to be as serious. Johnson briefly left the January 4 win in the first quarter, only to score two touchdowns upon his return.

Three starting linebackers on shelf

Linebackers Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano were non-participants while Shaq Thompson was limited.

Only Bernard, who aggravated his calf in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles, appears in danger of missing the postseason opener. Milano was absent with an illness while Thompson is likely managing a neck injury that popped up earlier in the season.

Two defensive veterans progress

Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and safety Jordan Poyer missed the last two regular season games, but the two veteran starters are trending toward returning Sunday.

After not practicing last week, Jones and Poyer participated in a limited capacity on Wednesday. The former is dealing with a calf injury that dates back to October while the latter pulled his hamstring on December 21.

Bills' Injury Report (Wild Card)

WEDNESDAY
LB Terrel Bernard (calf) — DNP

CB Maxwell Hairston (ankle) — DNP

RB Ty Johnson (ankle) — DNP

LB Matt Milano (illness) — DNP

WR Joshua Palmer (ankle) — DNP

K Matt Prater (quad) — DNP

S Damar Hamlin (pectoral) — Limited (IR)

DT DaQuan Jones (calf) — Limited

TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) — Limited

S Jordan Poyer (hamstring) — Limited

LB Shaq Thompson (neck) — Limited

QB Josh Allen (foot) — Full

S Cole Bishop (ribs) — Full

DE Joey Bosa (hamstring) — Full

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

More Buffalo Bills News:

Jordan Poyer reveals if he's ready to play in Bills' Wild-Card round vs. Jaguars

Rushing champion James Cook's backup finishes as NFL leader, too

Two Bills' veterans turn Highmark Stadium farewell into six-figure paydays

Josh Allen’s early Week 18 exit ends his NFL record TD streak