Bills Make IR Decision on Crucial All-Pro DB

While he won’t be available for the Buffalo Bills’ Week 2 Thursday Evening Football Heading into the game against the Miami Dolphins, there is encouraging news regarding reigning second-team All-Pro nickel defenseman Taron Johnson: the team has left him off the injured list for their Week 2 game, indicating they expect him to be available in the relatively near future.

Johnson was injured on Buffalo’s first defensive series in their Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals, leaving the game after playing just seven snaps. He was ruled out at halftime with a forearm injury, with head coach Sean McDermott telling reporters on Monday that the veteran would not be available for Thursday night’s game. The sideline boss said on Tuesday that the team was not ruling out the possibility of placing Johnson on the injured list; the team did not do so on Thursday afternoon, offering some optimism regarding his future availability.

It’s incredibly encouraging news for a Bills defense that can ill afford to be without Johnson for an extended period of time. Buffalo plays nickel defense on the vast majority of its snaps, utilizing the 28-year-old as a quasi-linebacker as it calls for him to make impactful plays against both the run and the pass; Johnson has answered the call for the vast majority of his professional career, establishing himself as one of the NFL’s best slot defenders. His presence allows the Bills defense to function as intended, and Johnson being unavailable for an extended period of time would have a noticeable impact, especially considering the extended absence of linebacker Matt Milano with a biceps tear.

If Johnson had been placed on the injured list before Thursday’s game, the team could have signed a player to the active roster. If the Bills don’t, they expect the defenseman to be available within a few weeks.

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