During OTA’s on Thursday, Buffalo Bills’ rookie wide receiver Zay Jones suffered a knee injury that has him listed week-to-week.
The Buffalo Bills are getting a little glimpse of what last offseason felt like. Closing out a short mini-camp last week, the Bills announced that rookie receiver Zay Jones is dealing with a knee injury that kept him sidelined.
The Buffalo Bills have listed Jones as week-to-week, so he isn’t expected to be out for an extended period.
Unfortunately, not much has been disclosed about the injury and it has left fans worried about an offseason similar to last year. To those fans, I say slow down and stay calm.
Let’s first go over what we know.
The announcement was made on Thursday, just as the Bills were closing a three-day voluntary minicamp. The injury was listed as a sprained knee, but there wasn’t any info on the severity of the sprain or how long he would miss — other than the week-to-week status.
From what it sounds like, it was an everyday sprain that will require some time to recover from. For a rookie, the main setback this will cause is less reps with the offense. Entering the NFL this season, Jones will need all the reps he can get during workouts and training camp to ensure he is ready for Week 1.
Luckily this occurred early on, so he will be fine by the time things get serious. Unfortunately, the lost time on the field will have an affect, even if it’s small. Especially someone who’s competing for the Buffalo Bills‘ No. 2 receiver position, with two other veteran receivers in the battle for it.
Personally, I’m not worried about Zay Jones’ knee injury as long as the Buffalo Bills handle it correctly and don’t rush him back into it. That seemed to be the issue multiple times with Sammy Watkins and the last thing the Bills’ fanbase needs is a repeat of that.
More from BuffaLowDown
- Buffalo Bills were ready to trade back if they couldn’t get Dalton Kincaid
- Grading Buffalo Bills drafting Dalton Kincaid in 2023 NFL Draft
- How the Buffalo Bills can win Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft
- Buffalo Bills having conversations about trading for DeAndre Hopkins
- Buffalo Bills Draft Rumors: Bills linked to this shocking first round target
Another reason the fanbase might be a little hectic over the Jones injury is because Sammy Watkins is also still recovering from his injury. That means the top-two receivers on Thursday were Andre Holmes and Philly Brown.
To all of that, I say calm down. The Bills are working with an entirely new receiving corps, in addition to a new offensive scheme. Everyone is learning new plays and concepts, so everyone can use some first-team reps to better understand the offense.
That includes Philly Brown and Andre Holmes, who got valuable practice in this week. In addition to that, Zay Jones will get a chance to sit down and further learn the playbook and schemes while recovering — that way he’s ready to learn the pace of the NFL with a healthy knee.
We might not see Zay Jones for a little while, but the coaching staff will do everything possible to make sure he is ready Week 1 and at full health. That shouldn’t be a problem.
Next: Rick Dennison likes Tyrod Taylor so far
Are you concerned about the Zay Jones injury? Leave your thoughts below!