Injuries continue to mount for Bills with Samuel, Valdes-Scantling, Hamlin and Trubisky injured

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills face the prospect of limping into the regular season with a growing number of injured players, which now include receivers Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, safety Damar Hamlin and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Coach Sean McDermott listed the four players Monday who will be out week to week. McDermott declined to specify which players, saying he was concerned some could miss the season opener against Arizona on Sept. 8.

Samuel is out with a toe injury and Hamlin is out with a hamstring injury, both suffered last week. Valdes-Scantling (neck) and Trubisky (knee) were injured in a 9-3 preseason win at Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The injuries are hitting key players for the four-time defending AFC East champions, who were already integrating a number of new starters at many positions after an offseason salary-cap-forced overhaul. Buffalo opened training camp with 43 newcomers and just 11 players remaining from 2020.

The injuries come on the heels of starting linebacker Matt Milano, who is expected to miss at least the first few months of the season after tearing his left biceps in practice last week.

McDermott has expressed such concern about the rash of injuries that he has already decided to bench all of his scheduled starters for Buffalo’s final preseason game against Carolina on Saturday while reducing practice time this week.

“It’s a challenge, but we’ll find a way to meet it,” McDermott said. “Right now, we need to focus on solutions.”

Samuel and Valdes-Scantling were veterans brought in as free agents in the offseason to be part of Buffalo’s new receiving corps after the Bills traded top receiving threat Stefon Diggs to Houston and lost No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis in free agency. That group also included Chase Claypool, who was released after reaching an injury deal last week and missed most of training camp with a toe injury.

Trubisky’s injury has Buffalo searching for a quarterback for the second straight week, though this time it’s Josh Allen’s primary backup. Last week, the Bills signed Ben DiNucci to take over after Shane Buechele injured his neck in a preseason-opening loss to Chicago.

Hamlin was competing for a starting job at a position already depleted by injuries with the addition of veteran free agent Mike Edwards (hamstring) and second-round pick Cole Bishop (shoulder), both of whom missed most of training camp. McDermott said Edwards and Bishop are both expected to be able to practice this week.

Veteran linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who missed an extended period with an ankle injury, is also expected to return to practice.

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