Bills receiver DJ Moore went to the locker room at the end of the first half of Sunday's game against the Patriots with a shoulder injury. Moore came into the game managing the left AC joint sprain he suffered in Week 2, and there is concern he may have reaggravated it. The Bills have not yet announced a diagnosis or whether he'll return in the second half.
Moore has been dealing with the shoulder for more than two weeks. He landed hard on his left shoulder diving for a pass in the end zone against the Lions on September 17, left for X-rays, and was downgraded to out after halftime. The Bills also described a stinger at the time. Reports from Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter pointed to an AC joint sprain that doctors did not consider serious, and David Chao said the video showed a shoulder separation rather than a fractured collarbone, with no surgery expected. Moore was a game-time decision in Week 3, then played and caught six of 10 targets for 67 yards against the Chargers. He was a limited participant in practice all three days this week, wore a non-contact jersey, and had no injury designation for today.
That history is why this reaggravation is of note. An AC joint sprain is a ligament injury at the top of the shoulder, and a hard fall or hit before it has fully healed can worsen the damage or prolong recovery, even if it doesn't change the original diagnosis. A receiver who lands on the shoulder or takes contact in the air is especially exposed. Whether this is simple soreness or a true setback will depend on what the Bills' medical staff finds at halftime.
If Moore is out for the second half, Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman would see larger roles, though Coleman has been dealing with an ankle injury that limited his practice this week. Josh Allen has leaned on Moore as his top target, so his status will be one of the big storylines of the second half. The Bills' official update, and Moore's practice report this week, will say more.
