Season Shattered Before Kickoff for DT Bills by Achilles Tear

The cruelest moments in football don’t come under stadium lights — they come in the silence of a practice field. For DeWayne Carter, the Bills’ young defensive tackle, his season ended before it began. A torn Achilles in late August practice turned what should have been a breakout year into a year of waiting.

The news, first broken by Jordan Schultz and later confirmed by the AP, felt like a gut punch to Buffalo. A 24-year-old third-round pick, a three-time Duke captain, a fighter molded for the trenches — suddenly erased from the lineup before the September opener against Baltimore.

Carter didn’t hide. From his hospital room, he posted a photo with the caption: “God doesn’t make mistakes. I’ll be back. Thank you for all of the prayers and well wishes! John 13:7.”
It wasn’t just faith — it was defiance. The same young man who played through pain at Duke, who battled a broken wrist in his rookie year, now faces the longest climb yet.

In a private moment, his words carried the ache of Buffalo’s blue-collar heart:
“This city deserves my fight. It hurts knowing I can’t line up with my brothers right now, but Buffalo never quits — and neither will I.”

On the field, the loss is sharp. With veteran Larry Ogunjobi suspended six games, Buffalo’s depth inside is suddenly thin. Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones remain the anchors, but rookies like T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker must step into the fire far sooner than expected. The front office may scour the market, but no trade can replace Carter’s presence in the rotation.

Bills Mafia didn’t lash out. They rallied. On X, messages poured in — “You’ve got a whole city behind you, big man.” Fans know the grind, they know scars. In Buffalo, a setback becomes a rallying cry.

Achilles injuries demand patience: 9–12 months, doctors say, with strength and burst returning slowly. But Carter has never been ordinary. He’s built his career on resilience, leadership, and faith. 2025 is lost, but the vow remains: he will return.

And in the silence of the training room, you can almost hear it — the echo of Buffalo’s creed: never quit, never fold.