Bills coach Rex Ryan said during Saturday’s preseason game that linebacker IK Enemkpali suffered a “major” knee injury, something that has reportedly been confirmed after further tests.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that an MRI showed Enemkpali tore his ACL in the game. As a result, Enemkpali will miss the entire 2016 season.
The injury is the latest blow to a linebacking corps that has experienced quite a few of them this year. Second-round inside linebacker Reggie Ragland is expected to miss the season with his own ACL injury and first-round outside linebacker Shaq Lawson had shoulder surgery in the spring that will keep him out indefinitely. Manny Lawson, who also plays outside, is missing time with a pectoral injury.
The Bills are down to five healthy outside linebackers with Jerry Hughes at the top of the list. Lorenzo Alexander, Max Valles, Bryson Albright and Eric Striker round out a group that could see a new face or two given the dwindling numbers.