Bills Central

Sean McDermott reveals Bills starting defensive back had knee surgery

The Buffalo Bills secondary will be without one of its starters for the foreseeable future following knee surgery.
Randy Gurzi|
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and safety Taylor Rapp run onto the field before a game against the New England Patriots.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and safety Taylor Rapp run onto the field before a game against the New England Patriots. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Injuries have been a concern for the Buffalo Bills all season, with the secondary being hit especially hard.

It doesn't appear they're going to be back to full strength anytime soon, either, with Sean McDermott offering a bleak update on Friday. During his media session, McDermott said starting safety Taylor Rapp had surgery on his knee earlier this week and is likely done for the season.

MORE: Bills' wide receiver returns to practice while linebacker takes step back Thursday

While McDermott didn't completely rule out a return, he sounded as though Rapp won't be back until 2026. This news comes just one week after the team placed Rapp on IR due to his knee issue.

With Rapp gone, the Bills have turned to veteran Jordan Poyer who spent eight years in Buffalo before playing one year with the Miami Dolphins. Poyer has six tackles in two appearances, but has been an upgrade thus far over Rapp.

Secondary has been an issue all year for Bills

Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston enters the field during training camp at St. John Fisher University.
Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston enters the field during training camp at St. John Fisher University. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

During training camp, they lost rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who finally made his debut in Week 8. In addition to Hairston and Rapp missing time, the Bills have seen Tre'Davious White, Taron Johnson, and Damar Hamlin all miss time.

While the cornerback corps is finally nearing full strength, safety has suddenly become a problem.

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Along with Rapp being out, the Bills are still without Hamlin. During his presser on Friday morning, McDermott said Hamlin could return eventually, but didn't sound overly optimistic.

While Poyer has been able to help them improve, the Bills would be wise to see if there are any options available at the NFL trade deadline. Even if they add backups for depth, they need to do something to ensure this position doesn't become their downfall during the playoffs.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.