Bills' WR, RB amongst quartet questionable to face Jaguars in Sunday's playoff opener

The Buffalo Bills could be without as many as six notable names when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 1 p.m. ET postseason kickoff on January 11.

While linebacker Terrel Bernard and first-round rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston have been ruled out, the Bills listed four more players as questionable on the week's final injury report.

Wide receiver Joshua Palmer, running back Ty Johnson, linebacker Shaq Thompson and kicker Matt Prater are all fighting through issues that could make them unavailable on Sunday.

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It seems as if Palmer has the smallest chance to be ready. The wide receiver, who is apparently still feeling the effects of an October 13 ankle injury, did not log any official practice time this week.

After tweaking his ankle early during the Week 18 win, Johnson missed back-to-back practices on Wednesday and Thursday. He improved to limited on Friday, but it's unknown if the Bills saw what they needed to see. It's notable that Johnson played substantial minutes in the win over the New York Jets, scoring two touchdowns after tweaking his ankle.

Bills running back Ty Johnson spins through a hole up the middle for yards against the Jets during the first half of their game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As planned, Prater practiced fully on Thursday before some rest on Friday. It appears as if he'll be physically ready to play, but the Bills may not want to risk a re-injury during the game.

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Thompson seems most likeliest to play amongst the four questionable players. He's been nursing a neck issue, but it hasn't limited his gameday availability.

"He should be good. He's dealing with some bumps and bruises, and a little bit of a neck that he's been dealing with for the last couple weeks. Nothing really of a setback. Just managing his practice today," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott on Friday.

Three veteran starters good to go

On the defensive side, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and safety Jordan Poyer are available for the first time in three weeks. Both were upgraded to full participation on Friday and do not carry injury designations into the game.

Jones was nursing a calf issue that originated in October while Poyer tweaked his hamstring on December 21 against the Cleveland Browns. They missed the final two regular season games in order to recover.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid was also upgraded to full participation on Friday after being limited the two days prior. The Bills and Kincaid are managing a knee injury that dates back to training camp. His presence should bode well for the offense. All 10 of Josh Allen's interceptions came when Kincaid was not on the field this season.

Bills' Injury Report (Wild Card)

FRIDAY
LB Terrel Bernard (calf) — DNP
(Game: OUT)

CB Maxwell Hairston (ankle) — DNP
(Game: OUT)

RB Ty Johnson (ankle) — Limited
(Game: Questionable)

LB Matt Milano (illness) — Full
(Game: - )

WR Joshua Palmer (ankle) — DNP
(Game: Questionable)

K Matt Prater (quad) — DNP
(Game: Questionable)

S Damar Hamlin (pectoral) — Limited (IR)
(Game: OUT)

DT DaQuan Jones (calf) — Full
(Game: - )

TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) — Full
(Game: - )

S Jordan Poyer (hamstring) — Full
(Game: - )

LB Shaq Thompson (neck) — Limited
(Game: Questionable)

QB Josh Allen (foot) — Full
(Game: - )

S Cole Bishop (ribs) — Full
(Game: - )

DE Joey Bosa (hamstring) — Full
(Game: - )

DT TJ Sanders (shoulder) — Full
(Game: - )

Dec 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills place kicker Matt Prater (15) kicks a field goal in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

THURSDAY
LB Terrel Bernard (calf) — DNP

CB Maxwell Hairston (ankle) — DNP

RB Ty Johnson (ankle) — DNP

LB Matt Milano (illness) — Full

WR Joshua Palmer (ankle) — DNP

K Matt Prater (quad) — Full

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

DT TJ Sanders (shoulder) — Full

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

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