Report: Bills LB Terrel Bernard's injury recovery timeline revealed

ESPN's Adam Schefter has provided insight into the injury recovery timeline of Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard.

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Buffalo Bills middle linebacker Terrel Bernard suffered a strained pectoral in his team’s Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The insider notes that Bernard is not expected to miss the entire season but could miss “about a month;” Schefter also notes that he may be placed on injured reserve.

Tests showed that Bills LB Terrel Bernard strained his pectoral last night, but it is not considered a season-ending injury, per sources. Bernard could miss about a month and be an IR candidate.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2024

Bernard walked off the field with an apparent injury after a first-quarter red zone defensive stop. He went to the locker room after a short stop in the blue medical tent before ultimately being ruled out; his role in the middle of the defense was filled by third-year defender Baylon Spector, who tied for the team lead in tackles in the victory with 10.

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Bernard missing an extended period of time is a huge blow for a Buffalo defense that’s already down two key players in its second level; fellow linebacker Matt Milano is set to miss most of the season with a bicep tear while All-Pro nickel defender Taron Johnson is currently sidelined with a forearm injury. The team hopes that Milano will be able to return before the end of the campaign while Johnson has seemingly avoided an IR designation; that said, being without all three players is, on paper, problematic.

Bernard is the Bills’ defensive captain and green-dot wearer, meaning that his absence will have ramifications stretching further than his play. He established himself as one of the Bills’ brightest defensive players in a breakout 2023 season in which he tallied 143 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries; his avoiding a season-ending injury is encouraging, but replacing him will be a tall task. Buffalo will likely lean on Spector in the interim, meaning that its linebacker duo will be a pair of third-and-second-defenders with a combined five career starts under their belts.

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