The Buffalo Bills have suffered a significant blow ahead of the 2025 NFL season, losing defensive tackle DeWayne Carter for the entirety of the campaign due to an Achilles injury.
Carter, the team’s 2024 third-round draft pick, is set to undergo immediate surgery but will not compete at the Highmark Stadium this campaign as Buffalo sets its sights on a first ever Super Bowl win.
“Bills DT DeWayne Carter tore his Achilles and will miss the entire 2025 season,” Jordan Schultz reported on X.com, formerly Twitter.
“The talented 2024 3rd-round pick was poised to be part of Buffalo’s defensive rotation this year. A tough blow.”
Carter was expected to play a rotational role on the Bills‘ defensive line, listed as a second-string DT behind Ed Oliver in what could have been a breakthrough year.
In his rookie season, the second-year player appeared in 11 games, starting three, and recorded 14 tackles, including five for loss and three quarterback hits and was expected to take another step forwards.
His absence leaves Buffalo with limited depth at the position, prompting the team to plan for expanded roles for T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker until veteran Larry Ogunjobi completes his six-game suspension.
The injury comes after Buffalo had explored options to reinforce the defensive front, including potential trades for Micah Parsons as his relationship with the Dallas Cowboys disintegreated.
Parsons ultimately joined the Green Bay Packers, but Carter‘s projected role as a key rotational piece on the line was a central part of the Bills‘ defensive strategy in the upcoming campaign.
Bills look to create element of deja vu vs Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo opens its season on September 7 at Highmark Stadium, hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a highly anticipated rematch of their dramatic AFC Divisional Round clash in the 2024/25 NFL Playoffs.
The game features familiar faces from that night eight months ago, including quarterbacks Allen and Lamar Jackson – both voted MVP of the entire league previously with Allen currently the reigning one.
In the January 19 playoff meeting, the Bills took an early 21-10 lead behind two Allen rushing touchdowns, only for Jackson to rally Baltimore within 27-25. Lamar then led the Ravens with a late drive to tie the game up.
However, as he tried to pass to his own tight end, Mark Andrews, Andrews dropped the ball on the goal line and that proved to be the critical moment that helped secure Buffalo’s victory.
In a cruel twist of irony, the Bills‘ own tight end, Dalton Kincaid, also dropped a pass from Allen in the subsequent AFC Championship Game that could have tied or won the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kick-off is due from 20:20 ET/17:20 PT on Sunday, September 7 at the Highmark Stadium in what promises to be a blockbuster Week 1 clash in the latest NFL season.
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