Epenesa (ankle) is considered doubtful to play Thursday versus the Lions, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
Epenesa suffered an ankle injury in Week 11 against the Browns and was unable to return to the contest. It appears like the injury is still bothering him and he'll likely be forced to take a seat for Thursday's Thanksgiving Day matchup. If the defensive end can't go, Shaq Lawson and Carlos Basham would be set for increases in usage against Detroit.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Won't return Sunday
Rotowire
Epenesa (ankle) was downgraded to out for the remainder of Sunday's contest against Cleveland.
While the nature of this injury is still unclear, it appears significant enough to keep Epenesa sidelined for the rest of the Bills' Week 11 contest. The 24-year-old will now have a short four-day turnaround before the team's next outing against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Exits versus Cleveland
Rotowire
Epenesa is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Browns with an ankle injury.
Epenesa did not record a defensive statistic before exiting at some point during the first half against Cleveland. The 2020 second-round pick played a season-high 61 percent of the Bills' defensive snaps last week versus the Vikings, as starting defensive end Greg Rousseau was sidelined with an ankle injury. With Rousseau once again ruled inactive Week 11, Buffalo's defensive line will be left short-handed against the Browns' run-heavy offense for the time being.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Removed from injury report
Rotowire
Epenesa (ankle) is no longer on the Bills' injury report Wednesday.
Epenesa cleared COVID protocols Wednesday, but he was also dealing with an ankle injury previously. Now cleared and healthy, he'll look to provide depth on the Bills' defensive line Sunday against the Falcons.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Activated by Bills
Rotowire
The Bills activated Epenesa (ankle) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.
Epenesa landed on the COVID-19 list early last week but will now be eligible to rejoin the team. The 23-year-old was inactive in Week 15 due to an ankle injury, and it's not yet clear whether the issue will impact his availability for Sunday's game against Atlanta.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Not suiting up
Rotowire
Epenesa (ankle) is inactive Week 15 against Carolina.
Epenesa popped up on the injury report Friday with an ankle issue, and it will ultimately force him to sit out his second game of the season, potentially hurting the depth of the Bills' pass rush.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Questionable for Sunday
Rotowire
Epenesa (ankle) is questionable for Sunday against the Panthers.
Epenesa was able to log a limited practice Friday. The second-year pro plays a rotational role on the Bills' defensive line, and if he were unable to go Sunday, Efe Obada and Mario Addison would likely see a jump in snaps.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Foot injury surfaces
Rotowire
Epenesa practiced on a limited basis Thursday due to a foot injury.
The defensive lineman, whose play has been turning heads in his second season, was able to practice fully Wednesday, so he must have picked up the injury in practice this week. We'll see if he's able to practice Friday ahead of Sunday's big road game in Kansas City.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Ready for Week 15
Rotowire
Epenesa (head) practiced fully again Saturday and does not have an injury designation for Monday's game at New England.
This is no surprise for the Iowa rookie, who avoided a concussion following a hit last Saturday against the Broncos. He'll resume his depth role on the defensive line against the Patriots.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Back to practice
Rotowire
Epenesa, who had to leave the team's Week 9 contest against the Cardinals with a concussion, was able to practice fully Wednesday.
Not that concussions can ever come at the right time, but the rookie from Iowa did get the advantage of the bye to work his way through the protocol and will likely not miss any game action. Epenesa continues to work as a rotational piece as he gets acclimated to the NFL, as he hasn't seen more than 35 percent of the defensive snaps in any game this season.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Sustains injury Sunday
Rotowire
Epenesa is being evaluated for a head injury during Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
The team is likely checking Epenesa for a concussion, and if that diagnosis is confirmed, the rookie second-rounder will be done for the day. Epenesa recorded one solo tackle before departing.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Buffalo debut will wait
Rotowire
Epenesa has been made a game-day inactive for Sunday's game against the Jets.
This is a bit of a shocker considering the rookie out of Iowa was a second-rounder in April and was the team's top pick. But hey, this was a strange offseason and players received no preseason game experience, so the Bills will start the season with a more veteran look at defensive end, an area where they have plenty of depth.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Heading to Buffalo
Rotowire
The Bills selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 54th overall.
Epenesa had some first-round hype during the draft process but a poor showing at the combine hurt his stock. He had a 5.04 in the 40-yard dash and his three-cone drill is in the 25th percentile among defensive ends. That lines up with what he showed on tape, but Epenesa's calling card is his play strength. He collected double-digit sacks in each of his last two years at Iowa. Epenesa will need to develop his pass-rush rush skills in Buffalo to be a contributor as a rookie, but his power and frame (6-foot-5, 275 pounds with 34.5-inch arms) are a good foundation.
