LeSean McCoy injury update: Absent from Thursday practice

After leaving yesterday’s practice early, LeSean McCoy was a no-show at Buffalo Bills practice on Thursday.

In what can’t be described as good news, Buffalo Bills’ running back LeSean McCoy was absent from the start of practice Thursday. The news comes after McCoy reportedly suffered a hamstring injury during practice yesterday and was forced to finish early:

About the injury, Bills head coach Rex Ryan said yesterday, “He was tight in the hamstring, so we’ll see what happens with our medical evaluation and all that.”

It appears that the injury is a little more severe than they had hoped given that he couldn’t practice today. This isn’t good news for the Bills who could be without the NFL’s second leading rusher for the week. During Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, McCoy went down with what looked like a scary injury. He grabbed at his right knee and immediately everyone feared the worst. Luckily, he was able to return to the game soon after.

All of this is a reminder of the fragility of an NFL running back. It’s never good to hear about a hamstring injury, as that’s something that can linger. McCoy dealt with hamstring troubles in 2015 which forced him to miss a couple of preseason games.

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If McCoy weren’t able to go this weekend against the Miami Dolphins, Mike Gillislee would be the starting running back. Gillislee has been crazy productive with limited touches this season, averaging 6.9 yards per carry and scoring twice. Whichever back plays will get a fantastic matchup against a weak Dolphins run defense.

Like many other teams, the injury bug has hit the Bills hard in 2016. Sammy Watkins was sent to injured reserve and they’ve been without 2016 first round pick Shaq Lawson, though they will get him back soon.

The hope is that McCoy’s injury won’t keep him out longer than a week, however, hamstring injuries can be tricky to deal with.