Bills’ Josh Allen gets some bad news from head coach Sean McDermott just days before game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not the update Josh Allen was hoping to hear.
The Buffalo Bills are going through it in terms of injuries. A look at the injury report shows plenty of banged-up players. Fortunately, it looks like the team is going to be relatively healthy for the matchup, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be smooth sailing for Buffalo.
Ahead of the Week 11 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Sean McDermott ruled out defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis and tight end Dalton Kincaid. Quarterback Josh Allen got some bad news from the head coach, with his top weapon this season officially ruled out.
Kincaid has been battling injury in the 2025 season and has missed a few games because of it. It’ll be the next-man-up type mentality for Buffalo, especially in the passing game.
McDermott shared some good news
It wasn’t all bad news coming out of One Bills Drive, and it impacts the offense moving forward. On Wednesday and Thursday, wide receiver Khalil Shakir was spotted wearing a red non-contact jersey, putting his availability in doubt. The latest update from McDermott is a significant, favorable outcome.
While speaking about Shakir, McDermott offered that the receiver “is heading in the right direction and should be in a good spot for the game.”
With Kincaid out, having Shakir back with the offense will go a long way toward finding success against the Bucs.
Another update came in the form of rookie defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. Sanders is still on the injured reserve, but he had his 21-day practice window opened. During the week of practice, he’s been a full participant, but McDermott cautioned that it’s about catching up to where they’ve been and seeing where things go in terms of his availability on Sunday. Regardless, getting back Sanders will be huge when considering that position group specifically has been ravaged by injuries.
Finally, wide receiver Josh Palmer has been a full participant all week. The loss to Kincaid stings, but if the team can get Palmer back, along with a potential elevation of newly-acquired receiver Mecole Hardman or fan-favorite Gabe Davis, the team has some options.
Even with Shakir trending upward and Sanders inching closer to a return, the Bills are walking a thin line in terms of injuries and player availability. Sunday’s matchup against the Bucs now comes down to whether the offense can adjust without Kincaid, and whether the defense can withstand another week of patchwork depth.
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