55 Jerry Hughes DE

Hughes stated Tuesday that he played the 2019 season with torn ligaments in his wrist, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Perhaps that explains Hughes' low sack total of 4.5, a number that should have been a lot higher on such a strong defense with good linemen playing around him. But Hughes has dropped off precipitously from back-to-back 10-sack seasons in 2013 and 2014, not bettering 7.0 sacks in the five seasons since. The Bills might also have some explaining to do to the league as to why Hughes' wrist injury never showed up on an injury report. Coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that it hasn't been determined yet whether Hughes needs surgery.

Hughes had three sacks and four total tackles during Saturday's playoff loss to the Texans.

The Bills have had a lot of great defensive linemen in their history, but Hughes is the first to have three sacks in a postseason game. Unfortunately, just like past members of his Bills fraternity, Hughes and his current mates came up just short in painstaking fashion. He has one year left on a two-year, $23 million contract he signed earlier this year, and, given that the Bills have tons of cap room, it's likely they'll keep the veteran pass rusher around for another season, one that should continue to feature an excellent Buffalo defense.

Hughes (groin) does not carry an injury tag for Sunday's tilt against the Broncos.

Hughes practiced in full Friday after having logged back-to-back absences to begin the week. The starting defensive end appears fully recovered from his groin injury, putting him on track to handle his usual workload against Denver on Sunday.

Hughes (groin) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice.

Hughes was able to battle through this groin issue during this past Sunday's win against Miami, so the Bills hope their starting defensive end is on a similar trajectory. Still, the veteran figures to carry an injury tag of some sort into this Sunday's matchup against the Broncos. It's perhaps worth noting Hughes hasn't missed a game since the 2011 season.

Hughes (groin) is on the active roster Week 11 against Miami.

Hughes was not a lock to suit up Sunday after missing Friday's practice, but it appears as if he'll give it a go, providing a boost to the Buffalo pass rush.

Hughes (groin) did not practice Friday following a limited session Thursday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Miami, the Bills' official site reports.

Hughes has been in the league long enough to have no trouble with the game plan even without practicing much all week, but the lack of any participation Friday is a concern. If he can't go for the divisional contest, Shaq Lawson, Trent Murphy and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander will collectively take on more pass-rushing duties.

Hughes was listed as a limited participant Thursday due to a groin injury, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Thursday is probably the least important of the three main practices for most teams, so we'll see if the veteran can get back out there for a full session Friday. The Bills' defense has been awesome all season, but Hughes -- formerly a sack monster -- has posted underwhelming stats, with just 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the season. Hughes almost pulled off a major game-changer when he scored on a botched Baker Mayfield play during Sunday's loss in Cleveland, but the play was correctly determined to be a short forward pass and the Browns went on to win.

Hughes recorded three tackles (one solo) and one sack during Sunday's 24-9 win over Washington.

Hughes put a notch in the sack column for the first time since Week 1 as he successfully brought down rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. He's primed for a favorable matchup against the Browns in Week 10.

Hughes recorded 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Jets.

Hughes has always been a capable pass rusher, so swatting down two throws just adds to his value. His Week 2 matchup versus the Giants will be tough as they have an improved offensive front and allowed just one sack to the Cowboys in the season opener.

Hughes (wrist) was cleared to practice Monday, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Hughes has been battling the wrist issue for a couple weeks and sported a non-contact jersey at practice last week, but he wasn't listed among the Bills' non-participants Monday. The 31-year-old is primed for another season as Buffalo's starting defensive end after a seven-sack campaign in 2018.

Hughes (wrist) is wearing a non-contact jersey at Tuesday's practice, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

Hughes continues to practice on a limited basis due to a wrist injury. The veteran defensive end stands to operate as one of Buffalo's sack leaders when healthy, though a timetable for his recovery remains undisclosed.

Hughes was held out of Friday's preseason win over the Lions due to a wrist injury, Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News reports.

Hughes was able to practice on a limited basis Wednesday so his absence would seem more precautionary, especially given his veteran status and familiarity with the defense. We'll see if Buffalo's top sack threat is able to practice fully this week.

Hughes missed practice Tuesday and was seen sporting a brace on his right wrist, though the team hasn't announced an injury yet, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

It's possible Hughes was just given a veteran rest day, so we'll first have to see if he's back out there practicing Wednesday, and if not, what the coaching staff has to say about it.

Hughes started and played 14 snaps in Friday's preseason game against the Panthers.

Hughes appears over the ankle injury that kept him out of practice earlier in the month. He'll look to improve on the 37 tackles and seven sacks he registered in 2018.

Hughes did not participate in Thursday's practice due to an ankle injury, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

The severity of Hughes' ankle injury is unclear at this time. Hughes most recently signed a two-year extension with Buffalo that includes $19.5 million guaranteed and is locked in as a starter on defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier's defensive line.

Hughes is signing a two-year extension that includes $19.5 million guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The deal is worth up to $23 million and keeps Hughes under contract with Buffalo through 2021. The 30-year-old defensive end hasn't topped seven sacks since 2014, but he has a seven-year streak of playing all 16 games while piling up 32 or more tackles and 10 or more quarterback hits. Hughes is locked in as a starter under coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

Hughes played in all 16 games for the Bills this season, posting 7.0 sacks, 37 tackles and three forced fumbles.

While not his best season, Hughes bounced back from a 4.0-sack season in 2017 and was the best pass rusher on a surprisingly good defense. Hughes was probably better than his IDP numbers indicate, as he was a constant in the backfield and graded out well when you look at the league's top pass rushers. It seems likely the Bills will bring him back for another season. Surprisingly, he's played all 16 games for seven straight seasons.

Hughes has been fined $53,482 for unsportsmanlike conduct stemming from his verbal altercation with official Roy Ellison following last week's loss to the Dolphins, Tom Pelissero of NFL.comreports.

Ellison was placed on administrative leave over the event, so no one wins in the incident between two figures with a history of hotheaded behavior. Hughes has not been suspended, so he'll be out there Sunday when the Bills face the Jets, where he'll be looking to introduce himself to rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.

Hughes will not be suspended for a post-game verbal altercation with a referee following the Week 13 game against the Dolphins, Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports.

Hughes was reportedly caught on camera yelling at a referee, but the incident was reviewed by the league and a suspension wasn't deemed necessary. As a result, he should be available for Sunday's game against the Jets.

Hughes tallied just one tackle on 37 snaps in Sunday's loss to Miami. He was also involved in a post-game incident with one of the officials in the tunnel, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

It was a frustrating day for Hughes and the Bills, as the team was called for penalties all day long and the game ended with Buffalo falling just short on a near-miss desperation play. Hughes apparently felt the officials had too big a role in the outcome, and he may end up answering for his actions to the league this week.