Buffalo Bills Coach Sean McDermott Gives Update On Benched CB Kaiir Elam

Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam was a healthy scratch in the Buffalo Bills' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, creating questions about his future with the team.

Lost in the Buffalo Bills' 24-18 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium on Thursday night was the fact that there was a surprising name among the team's inactive list.

Cornerback Kaiir Elam, the No. 23 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft who has had a turbulent career to this point, was surprisingly a healthy scratch on Thursday night. Instead, 35-year-old cornerback Josh Norman, whom the Bills just recently signed to their practice squad, got the nod over Elam. For a former first-round pick in just the second year of his career, Elam getting benched is very concerning to say the least.

After the game, Elam's situation became even more concerning when Bills coach Sean McDermott gave a less-than-encouraging update on the corner.

"Yeah, we want the players, at this point, and we feel like every decision we make is who can help us win." McDermott said. "We wanted to see what Josh (Norman) could do there."

Elam during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs last year / USA TODAY

It doesn't take any detective work to see what McDermott means here.

Even before Thursday's game, Elam had been falling out of favor in Buffalo. While he had a decent enough rookie season, Elam has struggled since returning from injury this season. In fact, he didn't play a single defensive snap during the Bills' loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, only playing on special teams.

Going even further back, the fact that Elam has been jumped on the depth chart by fellow 2022 draftee Christian Benford, who was selected more than 160 picks after Elam, may have been a sign of things to come.

With the trade deadline less than a week away, Elam may not be in Buffalo much longer. Even if he does stick around, though, he'll have to earn his way back into the lineup.