This is the second stint for the third-year linebacker this season with an injury that may have plagued him since at least August.
On Christmas Eve, the Buffalo Bills announced that Baylon Spector was headed back to Injured Reserve (IR) with a calf injury that has followed the linebacker since Week 9.
The Bills have made the LB Nicholas Morrow signing to the active roster official and put LB Baylon Spector (calf) on IR for a second time as a corresponding move.
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) December 24, 2024
The move comes after the third-year linebacker was unable to complete Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. Spector first injured a calf in practice in Week 9 and was sent to IR almost immediately. After missing the required four games — the Bills had a bye week right in the middle of that time, giving Spector an added week of healing time — he returned to the active roster just four days into his 21-day practice window.
Spector was active for Buffalo’s 48-45 romp with the Detroit Lions, and after Dorian Williams injured his elbow in the first half and then Matt Milano was listed as questionable with a groin injury, Spector ended up with 23% of the Bills’ defensive snaps where he managed three combined tackles. But then trouble returned in the form of the calf injury. Spector showed back up on the Bills’ injury list as they prepared for the Week 16 game against the New England Patriots.
Spector seemed to be fine during the team’s Wednesday practice but then was listed as limited on both Thursday and Friday of Week 16. Despite entering the weekend with a questionable designation, when Milano was deemed unable to play on Sunday evening, Spector was in uniform at game time. This time Spector made it to halftime before exiting the game with three combined tackles and getting credit for half a sack. Later, he would say that the calf he injured earlier in the season —– the right one — was giving him trouble and that now his left calf was causing him some concern as well.
Baylon Spector reinjured his right calf during the game. Now his left calf is “starting to creep up just from weighing on and taking the overload of it.”
He’s frustrated: “I don’t make any excuses but it’s football. I gotta know my job and the plan. Come in an execute.”
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) December 23, 2024
Spector’s season isn’t necessarily over. Technically he would be eligible to play should the Bills make it to the AFC Championship Game on January 16, 2025. However, it’s reasonable that Buffalo may take things slower given this is the his second trip to IR in the same season.
Last season, Spector missed time with both a hamstring injury and a back injury limiting him to just nine games. During this summer’s training camp, Spector was limited due to a leg injury that saw him wearing a sleeve on his right lower leg — presumably the same calf injury that’s still bothering him. In addition, he missed mandatory minicamp earlier in the offseason due to an unspecified injury.
Over the course of the 2024 season, Spector has contributed 40 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery to the Buffalo Bills’ defense.