Lions vs Bills: What happened to Ed Oliver?

The Buffalo Bills entered Thursday night's matchup against the Detroit Lions with their defense facing a major test. Buffalo opened the 2026 NFL season with a win over the Houston Texans and was preparing for another difficult matchup in Week 2.

The Bills had largely avoided major injury concerns heading into the game. Wednesday's injury report listed Cole Bishop and Ty Johnson, while Terrel Bernard did not carry an injury designation after being limited in practice.

That left Buffalo with a relatively settled defensive lineup heading into its Week 2 game. However, the team's injury fortune changed shortly before kickoff when one of the team's key defensive linemen suffered an unexpected injury.

Ed Oliver suffers hip injury during Bills warm-ups

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Ed Oliver was ruled out of the Bills' matchup against the Lions. The veteran defensive tackle was not carrying an injury designation entering the game.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Ed Oliver suffered a hip injury during warm-ups before the Bills ruled him out of Thursday night's game against the Lions.

The Bills later confirmed the injury, listing Oliver as inactive in their final injury report. As of this writing, the team has not provided a timetable for his return.

Oliver's absence also leaves Buffalo without one of its established interior defensive linemen for a matchup against a Lions offense that entered Week 2 at 1-0. Detroit rushed for 165 yards against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and could pose a threat on the ground against a depleted Buffalo defense. The Bills will have to adjust their defensive-line rotation without Oliver and will hope to mark their first game at the Highmark Stadium with a win.