Bills' Tre'Davious White practices for first time since ACL injury, won't play vs Chiefs
ORCHARD PARK - The long-awaited return of Buffalo Bills star cornerback Tre’Davious White finally happened Wednesday afternoon, with one caveat.
White participated in practice with the team for the first time since before Thanksgiving last year, but coach Sean McDermott was quick to point out that he will not play in Sunday’s showdown in Kansas City against the Chiefs.
“His practice window will start today,” McDermott said. “He will not play in the game, but he will be out there today and he’ll play when he is ready at this point.
Davis, who suffered a torn ACL in the Thanksgiving win in New Orleans, began this season on the physically unable to perform list, which meant he had to sit out at least the first four games.
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Last week, when he was eligible to be activated, the Bills held off because they didn’t want to start the 21-day clock on White’s return to the field. When a player comes off PUP, he has three weeks to get ready to play, and if the team doesn’t activate him within that time frame, he must go on the injured reserve list, which would mean at least four more games of sitting out.
With White practicing Wednesday, he will get work in this week, and then can rest when the Bills are on their bye week. When that is done, the next opponent will be the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, Oct. 28, and it would seem White could be ready for that game.
Though the Bills wouldn’t say it, that was probably the plan all along, rather than trying to rush White back on the field. They need to make sure he’s 100% ready and healthy for the backstretch of the regular season and then obviously for the playoffs.
When he was asked how much White would be doing in practice, McDermott said, “I don’t want to get too far into the details right now, just because first and foremost Tre’s worked extremely hard to get himself back to where he is now.”
Good news on Buffalo Bills injuries
McDermott had more good news on the injury front. Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie cleared concussion protocol and was able to resume practicing. And everyone else on the team was able to practice in some capacity with the exception of two players: Wide receiver Jake Kumerow who is still battling an ankle injury, and special teamer Taiwan Jones who injured his knee against the Steelers. Two veterans, Von Miller and Rodger Saffold, were given rest days.
That means starters who missed the Steelers game - McKenzie, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, safety Jordan Poyer, cornerback Christian Benford, and tight end Dawson Knox - were all on the field and probably have a good chance to play against the nemesis Chiefs.