Bills’ defensive end Javon Solomon and Cardinals’ wide receiver Xavier Weaver won’t be playing on Sunday
The Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals are set to kick off their seasons on Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. While we have to wait another day and a half for official inactive lists, the teams have both already declared one player each as out due to injury.
For the Bills, that will be defensive end Javon Solomon. Buffalo’s 2024 fifth-round draft pick whose purpose was to add depth to the defensive line, has been ruled out with an oblique injury. While the Bills have both A.J. Epenesa, starting his fifth season in the NFL, and veteran Von Miller ahead of Solomon on the depth chart, no doubt they would have liked to get the rookie some reps to start building his professional experiences.
In addition to Solomon, edge rusher Dawuane Smoot’s name popped up on Friday’s injury report with a game-day designation. For Smoot, it’s questionable with a toe injury. This is the first we’ve seen the eight-year veteran, who spent the first seven years of his career as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, on the daily reports. Smoot is sandwiched between Greg Rousseau and Casey Toohill, who spent the preseason on the injury list, on the Bills’ depth chart.
Friday injury report pic.twitter.com/N8u2B9Fw4N
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 6, 2024
The good news for Buffalo is that everyone else enters opening weekend with no injury designations at all. That includes quarterback Mitch Trubisky who was able to get two full days of practice after a limited one early in the week and looks ready to back up Josh Allen when called on.
For the visiting Cardinals, it’s rookie wide receiver Xavier Weaver who is going to be in street clothes on Sunday. Weaver hasn’t practiced at all this week as he is dealing with an oblique injury. Arizona is already short wide receiver Zay Jones who is starting a five-game suspension for violation of the league’s personal conduct policy stemming from a domestic abuse charge last year.
Game Status vs. Bills
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 6, 2024
In addition to Weaver, the Cardinals have two players listed as questionable for Sunday: tight end Tip Reiman and safety Joey Blount. Reiman has been limited all week with an ankle injury. Blount started the week at practice, missed Thursday all together with a back injury, and was limited on Friday. While he is a depth player, if Blount — who was released from the Seattle Seahawks a year ago with an injury settlement before immediately signing with the Cardinals — can’t play, Arizona will be down to just three safeties on their active roster.
Both teams are required to announce their inactives by 11:30 a.m. EDT Sunday, which means that those players listed as questionable still have time to get some rehabbing in this weekend.