Key Bills defender held out of practice in ‘preventative’ measure

Buffalo Bills nickel cornerback Taron Johnson will miss Thursday's practice, with his absence being more "preventative" than anything.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills’ injury report is currently as long as quarterback Josh Allen is tall (which is to say, very); head coach Sean McDermott listed 15 players on the team's injury list during his Monday media availability, adding a few more to the list when speaking to reporters on Thursday.

Among the new names on the injury report is nickel defender Taron Johnson, who will miss Thursday’s practice with a quad injury. This ailment does not appear to be a long-term concern, however, with McDermott telling the press that his absence is more precautionary than anything else.

“Taron Johnson has a quad, that’s more, from what I understand, preventative and just being—he’s just sore, so that’s what I know at this point on Taron,” McDermott said.

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It’s easy to understand why Buffalo felt it best to withhold Johnson from Thursday’s practice given its general injury situation; an eighth-year player who knows the Bills’ defense like the back of his hand, reps during a late-August practice aren’t necessarily crucial to Johnson’s development or understanding of the scheme.

Johnson’s health is the far more pressing concern for Buffalo, as the 28-year-old is one of the team’s most important defensive players. The 5-foot-11 defensive back mans the slot in a Bills defense that plays with five (and sometimes six) defensive backs on the field at an exceptional rate; Johnson played on 89% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last year, tallying 98 tackles, eight pass deflections, and three forced fumbles as he earned a second-team All-Pro nod.

The veteran has also ascended into a more prominent leadership role in the offseason given the departures of secondary stalwarts Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre’Davious White, making his availability at the start of the season all the more important. He wasn’t going to play in the team’s preseason finale anyway, as Buffalo has already announced that it plans to sit its starters for its Saturday clash with the Carolina Panthers; Bills fans will next see Johnson when Buffalo kicks off its 2024 season against the Arizona Cardinals on September 8.

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