Bills prep for Sunday Night Football, roster elevations provide DT injury insurance

The Buffalo Bills are protecting against the possibility that defensive tackles Ed Oliver and TJ Sanders both wind up being unavailable for their Sunday Night Football matchup against the New England Patriots on October 5.

The Bills used both practice squad elevations to call up interior linemen, tabbing Zion Logue and Phidarian Mathis as potential injury replacements.

Oliver and Sanders both carry questionable tags into Sunday after limited practice participation on Friday.

Logue, Mathis intel

It's the third time Logue has been elevated in the season's first five weeks. Being that he has reached the limit, the Bills must sign him to the 53-man roster should they want to activate him beyond Week 5.

Logue, who was poached off the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad in 2024, has already totaled 41 defensive snaps for the Bills during Weeks 2 and 3 this season. He registered one-half sack and one pass deflection while on the field. The 24-year-old Logue also made two appearances for Buffalo last year.

Nov 24, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (98) celebrates after the Dallas Cowboys missed a field goal | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Mathis is in line to make his Bills' debut. The former Washington Commanders' second-round draft pick signed to Buffalo's practice squad on September 10. He was cut loose by the New York Jets in August.

The 27-year-old Mathis played in 23 games for the Commanders after being drafted at No. 47 overall in 2022. He has 24 career tackles and no sacks.

Oliver, Sanders updates

Nursing a sprained ankle, Oliver is on the cusp of rejoining the staring lineup. He returned to practice this past week for the first time in 20 days, but he still may be one more week away.

"Just day to day," said Oliver on Wednesday. "We're taking steps in the right direction."

Sanders popped up on the injury report this past Thursday. The second-round draft pick played 54 percent of snaps in the September 28 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson before he can get the pass off at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sept. 7, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"He's been dealing with it [knee injury] a little bit, and it just kind of flared up at this point," said McDermott.

The Bills will declare their gameday inactives no later than 6:50 p.m. ET on Sunday with kickoff slated for 8:20 p.m. in Orchard Park.

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