Yesterday was the third day of training camp for the Buffalo Bills, but it came with an early scare when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was carted off after going down with a lower leg injury. Typically when you hear an injujry like that, it’s hard not to assume the worst-case scenario.
The Bills finished out the day but the biggest concern was whether or not Gardner-Johnson was going to be suiting up this season or not. However, Adam Schefter from ESPN gave Bills fans a big relief feeling when he reported that Gardner-Johnson’s injury was just a lower calf strain.
Even though Gardner-Johnson managed to avoid a season-ending injury, it is safe to say that there is a good chance that he will miss a majority, if not the entire summer going into the season. That's going to hurt for sure, especially considering the fact that people are expecting him to be the starter next to Cole Bishop on the backend of the defense.
Now, it will be time to see who will step up to the plate and make an impact for the defense for the remainder of training camp, as well as preseason. That’s where fans should look towards rookie Jalon Kilgore, who now has an opportunity that he may not have expected.
Jalon Kilgore is set up to make big impact in summer after C.J. Gardner-Johnson injury
Drafted in the 5th round of this year’s NFL Draft, many people were very surprised that Kilgore fell as far as he did. The Bills managed to acquire him, and now they may have an impactful player who can play safety, and he can also line up in the linebacker box.
In three years at the University of South Carolina, Kilgore put up 178 total tackles, 21 pass deflections, and 8 interceptions. Being in a defense that is led by Jim Leonhard is a perfect fit for Kilgore. Since Leonhard was a defensive back in his playing days, Kilgore was going into a situation where he could relate closely with his defensive coordinator.
Now with Gardner-Johnson set to miss some time this summer, Kilgore is being set up to thrive and make it impossible for the coaching staff to ignore him.
Will Kilgore do enough to be a starter? Never say never, but it’s highly unlikely. However, could he do enough to be rotated in with some of the schemes that Leonhard could put together? Absolutely. As training camp progresses and the preseason kicks off, Kilgore should have the opportunity to impress the coaching staff and fans.Â
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