Buffalo Bills OT Tommy Doyle will miss entire 2023 NFL season

On Sunday, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott gave the announcement that most people knew was coming: Tommy Doyle will miss the entire 2023 season.

The news is tough considering Doyle missed the majority of last season after tearing his right ACL in Week 3. But, after a greusome injury early in the third quarter of the Bills’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday, Doyle (left leg in an air cast) was carted to the locker room.

The third-year lineman out of Miami (Ohio) worked to be ready for training camp and was successful in avoiding the team’s PUP list early on. He had a scary moment in the first preseason game on August 12 when the Bills beat the Indianapolis Colts. Doyle had a couple of players roll up on his surgically repaired right knee, but the diagnosis was that it was just a contusion and he was back at practice the next day.

However, he wasn’t so lucky this week. Doyle appeared to significantly hyperextend his left knee and immediately collapsed to the turf. While an official diagnosis hasn’t been given by the team yet, it is official that his 2023 season has come to an end.

The news is tough for the Bills who are quickly finding themselves short on offensive tackles. Earlier last week, Brandon Shell announced that he’s retiring from the game of football. Now with the loss of Doyle, the Bills are looking at just two depth players vying for positions on the roster: Ryan Van Demark and David Quessenberry. While Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown likely have the starting tackle spots locked up, Buffalo also has rookie Richard Gouraige, who, at 6’5” and 306 pounds, could be looking to earn a spot.

On Sunday, McDermott said that the team was confident in the personnel that they currently have on the roster, but also added that not having depth could be an issue.

It’s important to note that offensive tackle Jason Peters, who played with the Bills from 2004-2007, is currently a free agent looking to get at least one more year in the NFL. While the Bills haven’t said anything regarding Peters, it will be something to keep an eye on over the next week.