Bills HC provides update on potential return of veteran DE recently placed on IR

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott showed optimism that defensive end Dawuane Smoot will return this season after his wrist injury.

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The Buffalo Bills bolstered the depth across their defensive line on Wednesday with the signings of defensive tackles Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson, and there’s reason to believe that the team will receive internal reinforcements before the end of the season.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke to the media on Wednesday and gave an injury update on defensive end Dawuane Smoot, who was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday after suffering a wrist injury in Week 9.

Related: What Bills HC said about the return of DTs Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson

“I feel at this point that he’d be likely to return this season," McDermott said. "Again, he just got out of surgery I believe it was yesterday afternoon. So that’s really my update from [head athletic trainer] Nate [Breske] at this point.”

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Smoot left midway through Sunday's 30-27 win against the Miami Dolphins with a wrist injury, undergoing surgery on Tuesday. Though he'll miss at least the next four games after being placed on IR, McDermott is optimistic that his ailment isn't season-ending. This is the veteran's second injury of the season, as he missed the first two weeks with a toe injury.

In seven games this season, Smoot had made 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks. He’s played on 48% of the defensive snaps, playing an important role on a defensive line that oft-rotates its contributors. He's recorded seven quarterback pressures and six run stops in seven games, per PFF.

The injury was a disappointing development for Smoot, but the Bills hope to get him back near the end of the season in time for a potential playoff push.

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