DJ Moore injury sparks surprise Bills suggestion as former NFL star names 9,811-yard WR as potential replacement

The Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lions in their new stadium opener, but the win came with a cost. Wide receiver DJ Moore left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder stinger and never came back. Moore was ruled out for the remainder of the game, and with his status now uncertain heading into next week, the conversation has quickly shifted to who Buffalo might turn to if he misses time. Former NFL cornerback Darius Butler already has a name in mind, and it is one that Bills fans will recognize.Could Brandin Cooks be the answer if DJ Moore misses games?Butler posted on X that Brandin Cooks is going to be a Buffalo Bill by Sunday. He is speculating, but the suggestion is not without logic. Cooks visited the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, which means he is clearly open to returning to the NFL. And the Bills, who know him well, could very much come calling.Cooks is 33 now and has not played this season, but the resume speaks for itself. Over 12 NFL seasons with the Saints, Patriots, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, and yes, the Bills, he has put up 9,811 receiving yards, 734 receptions, and 60 touchdowns across 173 games. Buffalo signed him last year, and though he only played five games, catching five passes for 114 yards, he still knows the offense and the culture around the building.The Bills did not trade a second-round pick to Chicago for Moore just to replace him with a stopgap. Moore was supposed to be Josh Allen's true No. 1 receiver, the kind Buffalo has not really had since Stefon Diggs was dealt to Houston before the 2024 season. So if Moore misses meaningful time, the pressure on everyone else goes up, not just on a potential free agent addition.How big is DJ Moore's absence for the Buffalo Bills offense?Moore's first two games as a Bill told you everything about why they wanted him. In Week 1 against the Texans, he caught five balls for 100 yards and a touchdown. Head coach Joe Brady was direct about what Moore brings. "Yeah, I mean, you see there's a reason we brought him here and the ability that he can make plays down the field. And look, we had a pass interference that's not even going to show up in the stat book, right? But that's another added bonus, right? You saw the different types of weapons that we had, with DJ having a big game, Dalton [Kincaid] had a big game," Brady said on Monday, via A to Z Sports.Kincaid has been genuinely good through two weeks. He caught five passes for 130 yards against Houston and followed that with seven catches for 95 yards and a score against Detroit. He can carry more load. But Moore's value goes beyond catch counts. His ability to draw pass interference, threaten deep, and move the chains on third down is not something you just replace with a name off the street.That is what makes the Cooks idea interesting rather than just a throwaway suggestion. He has been in those moments before. He understands what a No. 1 receiver is supposed to do in a system like this. Whether he can still do it at his age is the question Buffalo would need to answer quickly.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.