Bills' head coach provides concerning update on DT DaQuan Jones after Week 6 loss

“Yeah, he popped his calf in pregame warmups,” said the Bills head coach from the postgame podium.

McDermott was then asked about the extent of the injury, to which he replied, “I don’t know, I have not caught up with [Head Athletic Trainer Nate Breske].”

He added, “All I heard, Nate approached me and we were going through team warmup there, at that point, and said that DQ was out because he popped his calf.”

A pop of the calf certainly does not sound like a short-term injury, and if Jones is indeed out for an extended time, it would be the latest blow to a Buffalo defense that has been plagued by injuries throughout the season.

The Bills just got starting DT Ed Oliver back in the lineup following a four-week absence, while rookie DT T.J. Sanders sits on Injured Reserve and needs surgery to repair an injured knee. Former third-round DT DeWayne Carter is also on IR due to an Achilles tendon injury that has forced him out for the season.

Jones had been one of the team’s top-performing players up front defensively through the first five weeks of the season, recording eight tackles, two of which came for a loss, along with two quarterback hits and two sacks.

Buffalo is set to see the return of DT Larry Ogunjobi and edge rusher Michael Hoecht from suspension out of their Week 7 bye, which should give the Bills’ defensive trench unit a boost against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. Still, Jones potentially facing an extended absence is worrisome for a group that has struggled mightily to begin the year.