An injury left Buffalo Bills wide receiver Skyler Bell sidelined for the preseason games. Now that he is back to practice on Monday, August 24, it comes with a lot of hope. As he addressed the media, quarterback Josh Allen could breathe a sigh of relief.
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“Just glad to be back out here, finally back playing some football, man. Excited. It was tough,” he shared during his interview at the practice. “Obviously you want to be out there playing with your brothers, man, but I just tell myself to take it day by day. You can’t do nothing if you’re not healthy. So I think just staying in the moment, taking it one day at a time.
“Just be where I need to be for Josh so I can help this offense be explosive. Got out there, made some plays today. Hopefully just keep stacking days, keep it rolling.”
Bell enters his debut season with a clean injury history, having missed no games since 2021.
He was sidelined with a lower-body issue as the Bills opened the preseason with a 29-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on August 15. After practice, he told reporters that he had been dealing with a groin injury and was “like a kid in a candy store” to be back on the field, having never missed this much time in football.
Bell thinks of how he can support Allen, who has been one of the reasons for his excitement joining the Bills.
“Pumped, man. He’s an MVP-caliber player. He’s done it at the highest level for many years now,” Bell said at Bills OTAs in May. “I’m super excited to get to play with him, super excited to learn from him, and just get around him and just pick his brain a little bit and just elevate my game as much as I can being around a guy like that.”
The quarterback, too, has always appreciated the wide receiver’s hard work and talent. Allen said the Bills have been “putting a lot on his plate intentionally,” while Bell has been “excelling really in any spot that we’ve put him in so far.”
Expectations are already rising for the No. 125 overall pick in this year’s draft. Playing five years with Wisconsin and UConn, he walks into the NFL after racking up 2,893 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for 162 yards.
With Buffalo rotating its receivers into different roles, Allen believes Bell’s versatility could give the team another weapon. His speed allows him to play outside; his quickness and route-running suit the slot. Allen also singled out Bell’s precise routes and downfield explosiveness.
The Bills are yet to give Bell the green light for Thursday’s preseason game at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In case he gets the chance, he is pumped up to give his 100%.