The Buffalo Bills could have a return date circled on the calendar for linebacker Terrel Bernard.
The middle linebacker has been out since suffering a pectoral injury in the team’s Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, but took a step forward this week as he returned to practice.
“LB Terrel Bernard (pec) returned to #Bills practice Thursday for first time since sustaining a pec injury during BUF’s Week 2 win over Dolphins,” reporter Alex Brasky noted in a post on X. “Bernard was in red non-contact jersey, participated in individual drills. Has already been declared OUT Sunday vs Ravens”
Bernard also revealed his potential return date, telling reporters he could be back on the field for the team’s Week 5 game against the Houston Texans. But Bernard could not say for certain if he would be ready to play for next week’s game.
“I hope so. It’s hard to put a timeline,” Bernard said after practice on Friday, via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. “That would be awesome if it is. I’m going to do everything in my power to try and make it out there, but we’ll kind of see how it goes.”
Bills Lost Top Defensive Player
Bernard is coming off a breakout season where he made a team-high 143 tackles with 6.5 sacks, five passes defended, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He was named the team’s defensive captain prior to this season.
Third-year linebacker Baylon Spector, who had played mostly on special teams before this season, started in Bernard’s place against the Jacksonville Jaguars and made six tackles.
The team appears to have planned a Week 5 return for Bernard as well. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said after Bernard’s injury that he would likely avoid a trip to the injured reserve, which would have kept him out until at least Week 6.
“Don’t know anything else right now,” McDermott said, via SI.com’s Kyle Silagyi. “I don’t think so, but I can’t make that statement with 100% certainty right now. I feel like we won’t have to go that direction.”
Bernard could still have some work to do before returning to full strength. He was seen wearing what appeared to be a harness in his return to practice this week.
Another Player Set to Return Soon
The Bills have suffered other injuries on defense, losing linebacker Matt Milano to an injury in training camp that led to a placement on injured reserve. Top nickel cornerback Taron Johnson also went down with a forearm injury in the Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals and could return to the field at the same time as Bernard.
Buscaglia reported on Wednesday that Johnson is aiming for a Week 5 return, but like Bernard has a degree of uncertainty surrounding his injury.
“I caught up with Bills NCB Taron Johnson today. He said he broke his forearm in Week 1, though it wasn’t a clean break — more of a crack,” Buscaglia shared in a post on X on September 25. “Typically a 4-to-6 week return timeline for players. He hopes to be back for the Week 5 Texans game but isn’t sure at this point.”
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