Buffalo Bills: Star Lotulelei placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Buffalo Bills will be without another starter on their defense for today’s game against the New York Jets

The middle of the Buffalo Bills defense will look very different this week against the New York Jets. The team knew on Friday they would not have middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds this week as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. He is expected to be replaced by A.J. Klein this week.

However, on Sunday morning the Bills also announced starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei would also miss today’s game as he was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The Bills elevated defensive tackle Brandin Bryant for today’s game to help with depth at the position.

Big opportunity for Harrison Phillips and Vernon Butler on this Buffalo Bills defensive line

The absence of Star Lotulelei can’t be understated as he has played very well this year and is one of the main reasons this defense has done so well against the run.

While the Bills will miss the veteran defensive tackle, this is also a big opportunity for two defensive tackles that have struggled or not played up to expectations. One of those players is Harrison Phillips, who is currently in the final year of his rookie deal.

The Bills drafted Phillips in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he showed flashes at times of being capable of being a starter on this defensive line. However, he has not been able to maintain that level since suffering a knee injury early in the 2019 season.

The other player is Vernon Butler, who started most of last season in place of Lotulelei when he opted out of the 2020 season. He has been very quiet to this point in the season and also is playing for a new deal as he also is a free agent after the season.

Both players are likely to see the most playing time of the season and can make a statement with their performance against the New York Jets.