We have the first official injury report of the season. Probably not something that should make us excited, but here we are, being very Buffalonian in our eagerness to comb through all the videos, team practice photos, and press conferences ahead of the Buffalo Bills’ Week 1 matchup with the Houston Texans.
There’s been a lot of talk about this year’s Bills team being different — from every angle — and that includes how the coaching staff, and medical team, are approaching player health. These reports will start to tell us if we have something to be excited about or if we are headed for another — what did Brandon Beane call it? — reset?
Now we have our first official look at the health meter for both the Bills and the Texans heading into Sunday.
NOTE: This tracker will be updated following each injury report leading up to kickoff.
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Buffalo Bills injury report
Wednesday
Wednesday injury report pic.twitter.com/UXpqoB4hsU
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 9, 2026
Practicing with an injury
- DJ T.J Sanders – Knee – Limited
Not practicing
- DB Jordan Hancock – Quad
- RB Ty Johnson – Hamstring
Thursday
Thursday injury report pic.twitter.com/me2l6DVvdk
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 10, 2026
Good news is that Hancock looks to be working out some of the soreness he has been dealing with. Bad news is that Sanders has been downgraded. This would make one think that he likely was hurt during practice yesterday. But that’s just speculation.
If I was a betting person, I would count on Johnson being ruled out tomorrow with Hancock getting a questionable designation. Sanders is where I get caught up. If it was a practice injury, expect him to sit. If it was a previous injury and he’s just “more sore” today than he was yesterday he could be listed as questionable.
What we’re watching
If Johnson can’t go, there’s a strong likelihood Frank Gore Jr. is elevated to be the Bills third running back in this game. That exact elevation occurred in Buffalo’s wild-card win over the Jaguars last January. If Hancock can’t go, the Bills can choose from rookies Jalon Kilgore or Davison Igbinosun to man the backup nickel spot… and will likely lean on Damar Hamlin to be their third safety.
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Houston Texans injury report
Wednesday
Houston #Texans Wednesday Injury Report for Week 1 vs. the Buffalo Bills: pic.twitter.com/sXodbPVtDk
— Houston Texans PR (@TexansPR) September 9, 2026
Practicing with an injury
- LB Wade Woodaz — Thumb — Full
- OT Trent Brown – Wrist – Full
- DT Kayden McDonald – Ankle – Limited
Not practicing
- N/A
Thursday
Houston #Texans Thursday Injury Report for Week 1 vs. the Buffalo Bills: pic.twitter.com/yHzz6KAEfY
— Houston Texans PR (@TexansPR) September 10, 2026
McDonald being downgraded to a DNP on Thursday would indicate, like Sanders for Buffalo, his ankle injury may have come up mid-day on Wednesday. Definitely something to continue to monitor as the Texans hold their final day of Week 1 practice tomorrow.
What we’re watching
There’s not much here to monitor, although Brown is filling in for Braden Smith at right tackle. The towering veteran being a full participant on Wednesday hints he’ll be ready for Sunday. McDonald was a mock-draft favorite for many Bills fans in March and April, but the Texans picked him near the top of the second round. He’s a super-thick run-stuffer. We should monitor his injury status all week.