Bills Clips
The Herbert brothers could have a special moment today in Buffalo.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s little brother, tight end Patrick Herbert, has been elevated from the Chargers’ practice squad to the active roster. That means the Herberts are set to play together today against the Bills.
When the Chargers added Patrick to their practice squad just before the start of this season, it made the Herberts teammates for the first time since they were at Oregon in 2019. Patrick barely played as a true freshman that year, and Justin never threw him a pass.
The 25-year-old Patrick, who is three years younger than Justin, signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent last year and spent the season on their practice squad. He remained with the Jaguars throughout this offseason.
Patrick spent six seasons at Oregon, playing there from 2019 through 2024. As a freshman he got on the field for two games, while Justin was leading the Ducks to a 12-2 record that culminated in winning the Rose Bowl. During his college career, Patrick caught 31 passes for 388 yards and four touchdowns.
If Justin throws a touchdown pass to Patrick, he’d do something the NFL hasn’t seen in almost a century. Via Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, the last time an NFL player threw a touchdown pass to his brother, it was Red Grange to Gardie Grange for the Chicago Bears against the Minneapolis Red Jackets on October 27, 1929. The only other brother-to-brother touchdown pass was Cobb Rooney to Bill Rooney for the Duluth Kelleys against the Kenosha Maroons on October 26, 1924.
The Chargers placed offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III on injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.
Pipkins, who was ruled out for Week 3 with a knee injury, will miss at least the next four games.
With Kayode Awosika (fibula) also ruled out, Trevor Penning will start at left guard.
In a corresponding move, the team signed quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to the active roster. In addition, the Chargers elevated tight end Patrick Herbert and outside linebacker Caleb Murphy from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
Backup quarterback Trey Lance popped up on Friday’s injury report as questionable, prompting the Chargers to sign Uiagalelei to the active roster. He will backup Justin Herbert against the Bills if Lance is unavailable.
The Chargers are hurting at tight end with injuries to David Njoku and Charlie Kolar, so Patrick Herbert will add depth. Murphy is a core special teams player.
The NFL adopted a new policy regarding five player safety rules this offseason and the announcement of fines for Week 2 showed that there were three fouls in those categories.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was fined for a hip-drop tackle while Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton and Commanders defensive back Jeremy Reaves were fined for hits on defenseless players.
The new league policy calls for players to be suspended if they are guilty of three fouls of the same type in one season. The other fouls in the category are blindside blocks, launching and horse-collar tackles. Players can appeal the fines and they will receive half the fine amount back at the end of the season if they only commit one foul in a particular category.
There were also three qualifying fines in Week 1 and no player has picked up more than one fine through two weeks.
It was a bad weekend for the Brothers Harbaugh at SoFi Stadium. On Monday night, John lost his game and his quarterback. One day earlier, Jim’s Chargers joined the 1926 Racine Tornadoes in losing back-to-back home games who won fewer than 20 percent of their games in the prior season.
The Chargers emerged from what were, on paper, two winnable games with an 0-2 record. For Jim Harbaugh, it’s the first time he has ever started 0-2 as a head coach, at the college or pro level.
Although the 2026 start is depressing, it’s impressive that he went 22 seasons without losing two straight games to open a campaign. The run includes three years at the University of San Diego, four at Stanford, four with the 49ers, nine at Michigan, and his first two with the Chargers.
That won’t make him feel much better about the current predicament, especially with a four-game gauntlet before the Chargers’ Week 7 bye (at Bills, at Seahawks, Broncos, at Chiefs).
Jim needs to dig deep into the bag of Jack Harbaugh motivational quotes to turn this one around. The fact that Sunday’s game is regarded as a trap game for the Bills shows how quickly the L.A. program has crumbled.
The Chargers have now lost five in a row dating back to 2025, and they haven’t scored 17 or more points in any of them. If something doesn’t change, changes could be coming after the dust settles on the next four weekends and the Chargers get extra time to figure things out before facing the Rams, Texans, and Ravens.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen has gotten off to a great start in 2026. He’s already made a little history — and he could make some more.
Per NBC Sports research, Allen is one of only three players with nine or more total touchdowns and no turnovers in the first two games of the season. The others — Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and Peyton Manning in 2013 — won the NFL MVP award that same year.
With at least two touchdowns and no turnovers against the Chargers on Sunday, Allen would join Mahomes as the only players with 11 or more touchdowns and no turnovers through three games. (Mahomes had 13 touchdowns and no turnovers through three games in 2018.)
And there’s more. Allen has had two straight games with four or more touchdowns and no interceptions. If he does it again on Sunday, he’ll tie five players for the longest streak in league history: Matthew Stafford in 2025, Allen in 2024, Lamar Jackson in 2019, Drew Brees in 2018, and Russell Wilson in 2015.
Finally, Allen has had two straight games with two rushing touchdowns. Only three players have done that in the first three games of the season: Priest Holmes in 2003, Stephen Davis in 1999, and Jim Brown in 1958.
Allen would trade it all for a 3-0 start, for the third straight season. And to extend Buffalo’s home record to 19-2 over the past 21 games.
The Bills have signed wide receiver Greg Dortch to the active roster from the practice squad, the team announced Friday.
In a corresponding move, the Bills placed defensive back Jordan Hancock on injured reserve.
Hancock missed Thursday and Friday’s practice due to a hamstring injury.
He played 13 defensive snaps and 42 on special teams in the first two games and totaled five tackles.
The Bills elevated Dortch for the first two games. He returned five punts for 46 yards (9.2 avg.) and five kicks for 133 (26.6 avg).
He has played four offensive snaps and 18 on special teams.
The Chargers may need to make a roster move to add a quarterback ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bills.
Backup quarterback Trey Lance was added to the team’s injury report on Friday and he is listed as questionable for this weekend. DJ Uiagalelei is on the practice squad and will need to be added to the roster if the team needs a different option behind Justin Herbert in Buffalo.
Safety Derwin James (finger) and wide receiver Ladd McConkey (rib) have no injury designations, but guard Kayode Awosika (fibula), tight end Charlie Kolar (forearm), defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring), offensive lineman Trey Pipkins (knee), wide receiver Brenen Thompson (quad), and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson (hamstring) have been ruled out.
Cornerback Rodney Shelley (hamstring) is listed as questionable.
A pair of Bills wide receivers will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
Head coach Joe Brady said that DJ Moore and Keon Coleman will carry that tag into the weekend. Moore missed practice on Thursday with a shoulder injury, but returned for a limited practice Friday. Coleman missed two days due to an ankle injury before joining Moore as a limited participant to close out the week.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hip) is also listed as questionable. He missed Buffalo’s Week 2 Thursday night win over the Lions after getting hurt in pregame warmups.
Defensive back Jordan Hancock (hamstring) and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (illness) have both been ruled out.
A couple of key Chargers players were back to full practice participation on Thursday.
Safety Derwin James (rest, finger) did not practice on Wednesday and left tackle Rashawn Slater (groin) was a limited participant, so both are moving in the right direction ahead of Sunday’s game in Buffalo. James plans to play with a cast protecting his injury.
Linebacker Khalil Mack was also full after resting on Wednesday.
Guard Kayode Awosika (fibula), tight end Charlie Kolar (forearm), defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring), offensive lineman Trey Pipkins (knee), cornerback Rodney Shelley (hamstring), wide receiver Brenen Thompson (quad), and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson (hamstring) were all out of practice for the second day in a row.
Defensive back Deane Leonard (abdomen), wide receiver Ladd McConkey (rib), and guard Cole Strange (pectoral) were all full participants while linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu (hamstring) was a limited participant.
The Bills have a couple of injury concerns with two of their key receivers.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, neither DJ Moore nor Keon Coleman are practicing for Buffalo on Thursday.
Moore (shoulder) was officially a limited participant in Wednesday’s session. Coleman did not participate.
One of Buffalo’s key offseason acquisitions, Moore has five receptions for 100 yards with a touchdown so far this season.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hip) is on the field going through individual drills after he did not participate on Wednesday.
Buffalo’s full Thursday injury report will be out later in the day.
