Buffalo Bills Sammy Watkins not yet cleared to play
The Buffalo Bills may have to shut down Sammy Watkins — lucky it’s only preseason. The rookie looked outstanding, but injured his ribs and has not yet been cleared to play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
More from Buffalo Bills
- Damar Hamlin is a ‘full go’ at Bills training camp
- NFL rumors: Division rival could steal Dalvin Cook from Dolphins
- Bills RB to miss entire season after freak jet ski accident
- Bills fan hitched the luckiest ride home from Atlanta with Sean McDermott
- 3 best QB-receiver combinations in the NFL for the 2023 season
According to ESPN.com, if the game were Thursday, Doug Marrone and the Bills’ medical staff would rule him out. That’s natural trepidation for a head coach and his staff. They don’t want one of their most prized assets — who cost a fortune in draft picks — to be out for the regular season. Watkins may not necessarily need preseason to get to speed. He’s fit in just fine at the NFL level. Every player needs practice, but some need it more than others.
Mike Rodak wrote about his practice status:
"Watkins ramped up his participation slightly in Thursday’s practice, taking part in routes versus air after sitting out that portion of practice Tuesday and Wednesday. When the Bills broke into full-team drills, Watkins moved to a side field for a workout."
Watkins absence on Saturday would provide additional work for Mike Williams, Chris Hogan and Robert Woods. Woods was expected to be a contributor to the starting offense, but played with the second team during the preseason Hall of Fame game. He has delivered consistency recently. If Watkins isn’t around, he could use the opportunity to prove himself valuable to the first team offense.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NFL page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.