Buffalo Bills dealt triple injury blow ahead of Atlanta Falcons game, with Matt Milano, T.J. Sanders and Damar Hamlin out, with the latter two players set to be placed on injured reserve
21:22 ET, 11 Oct 2025Updated 21:29 ET, 11 Oct 2025
Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on October 5, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York
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Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will be without three important contributors this week(Image: Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills will be without three key pieces against the Atlanta Falcons, as the group looks to get back on track after a stunning loss to Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots.
Against the Patriots, Josh Allen and the Bills suffered their first loss of the season, with Diggs, Buffalo's former star, having an impressive outing with 10 catches for 146 yards. Allen played like the MVP that he was, completing 22-of-31 passes for 253 yards to go with his 53 rushing yards on nine carries.
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With the Bills looking to turn the page, Buffalo will have to do so without three members of the defense, who are nursing their own injuries. The news comes after Allen delivered a frank message to his Bills teammates after the surprising loss to the Patriots.
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Linebacker Matt Milano, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and safety Damar Hamlin were all confirmed out by Bills head coch Sean McDermott. Of note, Sanders and Hamlin will be placed on injured reserve while Sanders will have surgery on his knee, though it is unknown the time frame for each player's return.
"A pec situation came up in practice," McDermott told reporters regarding Hamlin's injury. Regarding Sanders, the head coach noted the organization took it day by day to see if his health would improve, which led to the decision to undergo surgery on his knee.
"Yeah, he was dealing with a knee and so we were kind of weighing the options and seeing what one day at a time would do in terms of improving his situation," he continued. And it didn't look like it was improving, so we decided to get surgery and put him on IR."
Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills stands for the national anthem before the NFL 2025 game against Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York
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Damar Hamlin is among those who will not be suiting up in the Buffalo Bills' upcoming game(Image: Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
Regarding Hamlin and Sanders' return, McDermott added: "It's just, don't know on either of them really. Feel a little bit better about T.J. — Damar's up in the air at this point."
With Hamlin going on injured reserve, McDermott admitted he was looking forward to seeing what safety Jordan Poyer can do in that position, as the Bills look to continue without skipping a beat.
"Yeah, Poyer, you know, I could speak in a similar way about Poyer and his journey," the 51-year-old said of Poyer. "So having a veteran player on the practice squad to, you know, potentially go to is important for us.
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"It's kind of been some moving parts and things changing quite frequently at this point daily this week.
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"So we're just trying to figure out, you know, who goes out, who goes in and how different things affect different positions, but also the overall roster for game day."
Hamlin has played in five games this season while Sanders has appeared in four. It remains to be seen how the Bills will tackle that absence of three players.
For now, Buffalo will need another stellar outing from Allen, if the Bills are to ensure that their loss to the Patriots was an aberration.