Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore appeared to avoid a serious injury after sustaining a lower-leg issue during the team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.
Joe Buscaglia, the Bills beat reporter for The Athletic, reported from the sideline that medical staff examined the veteran receiver following the play.
“Bills WR DJ Moore seems to be moving around well on the sidelines and they were looking at his lower leg, so the Bills potentially dodged a worst case scenario here with their top receiver,” Buscaglia wrote. “His day is likely done as most of the Bills starting offense is out of the game.”
Moore had made an immediate impact in his first game action with Buffalo. He caught three of four targets for 61 yards over the opening two drives, including a 32-yard gain on a shallow crossing route that he turned upfield and subsequent receptions of 11 and 18 yards.
The injury occurred after Moore’s third catch, when a defender rolled onto his planted right foot and lower leg. Moore came off the field under his own power, spoke briefly with trainers while seated on the bench, and later walked around the sideline with relative ease.
Trainers, including head athletic trainer Nate Breske, evaluated the area around Moore’s right lower leg and ankle. Early indications pointed away from a high-ankle sprain or more severe structural damage, though official updates were expected after the game.
Moore joined the Bills in a March trade with the Chicago Bears. Buffalo sent a second-round draft selection, the 60th overall pick, to Chicago in exchange for Moore and a fifth-round selection. The move addressed a longstanding need for a proven outside receiver opposite the team’s existing pass-catchers.
In 2025 with the Bears, Moore recorded 50 receptions for 682 yards and six touchdowns, marks that represented career lows for the then-28-year-old after six consecutive seasons of stronger production. Over his first eight NFL seasons, primarily with Carolina and Chicago, he amassed 608 catches for 8,213 yards and 41 touchdowns.
At 29 and entering his ninth professional season, Moore brought speed, physicality and experience in an offense similar to the one installed by Bills coach Joe Brady, who previously coached him in Carolina. Quarterback Josh Allen had praised the early chemistry during training camp, calling Moore a seamless fit expected to provide significant help.
Saturday’s preseason contest marked the first NFL game at the newly constructed Highmark Stadium. The Bills’ starting offense, including Allen, operated for two series before yielding to reserves, consistent with typical early preseason usage.
Moore’s limited snaps still showcased the vertical threat and yards-after-catch ability Buffalo sought. He ran just six routes yet commanded attention as the clear top target, aligning with projections that positioned him as a primary option in the passing game.
Preseason injuries often create anxiety for contending teams, particularly involving key offseason acquisitions. The Bills entered the 2026 campaign with elevated expectations after adding Moore to an offense already featuring Allen, running back James Cook and a versatile group of secondary receivers such as Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman.
Further evaluation in the coming days will determine Moore’s availability for the remainder of the preseason schedule, which continues next week at Cleveland. For now, the visual evidence of him moving freely on the sideline offered reassurance that the team had sidestepped a potentially significant setback to its top wideout.
Moore’s presence has already altered the dynamics of Buffalo’s receiving corps, which ranked among the league’s lower producers in total yards by wide receivers during the prior season. His ability to stretch the field and win contested catches complements the shorter, quicker routes preferred by other members of the group.
As the Bills continue building toward the regular-season opener, the early returns on the Moore trade remain encouraging despite the brief scare.
The combination of production in limited action and the apparent avoidance of major injury left observers optimistic about his role moving forward.
