Bills Central

Buffalo Bills may suddenly have a cornerback conundrum

With Tre'Davious White's return to practice on Wednesday, rookie Dorian Strong appears to be headed back to a reserve role.
Alex Brasky|
Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) participates in drills in on the field during training camp at St. John Fisher College.
Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) participates in drills in on the field during training camp at St. John Fisher College. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills may suddenly have a cornerback conundrum.

With Tre’Davious White returning to practice after being absent since Aug. 21 due to a groin injury, there is once again a question as to who will start for the Bills opposite Christian Benford this weekend against the New York Jets.

Dorian Strong
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs the ball during the second quarter against Buffalo Bills cornerback Dorian Strong (43) | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Rookie CB Dorian Strong earned the start in White’s stead this past week against the Baltimore Ravens, playing 100 percent of the snaps and faring well.

According to Next Gen Stats, Strong did not allow a reception during the 41-40 victory. However, with White trending toward a return, it would appear as if the veteran will be inserted back into the starting lineup.

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With that said, upon speaking to the media before Wednesday’s practice, Head Coach Sean McDermott left the door open for Strong to remain as the team’s CB2.

“We’ll see,” said McDermott when asked about White’s status. “We have a lot of confidence in Tre, and Dorian is a young player that did some good things the other day.”

McDermott added that the team will be taking things slowly with White as he returns from injury.

“I think the best thing we could do right now, in terms of our approach, is to see how Tre is today and then take it one day at a time,” said the Bills head coach. “But we have a lot of confidence in Tre.”

It could be a matter of patience. It could be a matter of posturing. Whatever the case may be, Strong has thrown his hat into the ring as a future contributor for this team and can no longer be discounted in the conversation at the CB position. The rookie has proven through the preseason, training camp, and the start of the regular season that he belongs and will be a force to be reckoned with for this team moving forward.

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Alex Brasky
ALEX BRASKY

Alex Brasky is editor of Bills Digest and host of the Buffalo Pregame podcast. He has been on the Bills beat the past six seasons and now joins Sports Illustrated hoping to expand his coverage of Buffalo’s favorite football team.

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