Bills defensive tackle DeWayne Carter to miss 2025 season with torn Achilles
24-year-old lineman suffered the injury in practice and confirmed the season-ending diagnosis; Buffalo's defensive tackle depth already strained by suspensions
DeWayne Carter will miss the 2025 NFL season after tearing his Achilles during a Bills practice, the defensive tackle confirmed on social media and news outlets reported Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Carter acknowledged the injury in response to a post on X, writing, "This is all a part of my testimony. I will be back. John 13:7." ESPN reported the injury occurred during a practice earlier that day and sources described it as season-ending.
Carter was expected to take on a larger role in Buffalo's defensive-line rotation in 2025, working behind starters Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones. The loss comes as another blow to a unit already depleted by the suspension of defensive linemen Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht, each ruled ineligible for the first six games of the season for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy.
With Carter sidelined, the Bills are likely to turn toward one of their rookie defensive linemen — T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson or Deone Walker — to assume a larger role in the rotation. General manager and coaching staff decisions on roster moves and potential free-agent signings had not been announced as of Wednesday evening.
Carter, a third-year player drafted in 2023, had been working through offseason practices and was expected to contribute immediately as the coaching staff sought to bolster depth on the interior. The injury occurred as Buffalo prepared for Week 1, intensifying an already time-sensitive evaluation of the defensive front before the regular season opener.
The Bills did not provide an official injury update or roster move immediately following reports of Carter's tear. NFL teams typically place players with season-ending injuries on injured reserve, which would open a roster spot and begin procedural steps toward long-term recovery and rehabilitation.
Carter's absence will force Buffalo's defensive coaching staff to adjust line rotations and game plans early in the season. The team had counted on interior depth to pressure quarterbacks and defend against the run, responsibilities that will now fall to remaining veterans and younger players stepping into larger workloads.
Further updates are expected as the Bills finalize roster decisions and provide medical confirmations. The team begins its regular-season schedule in the coming days, and Carter's recovery timeline will be monitored by the organization and medical staff as the club proceeds into the 2025 campaign.
