Roscoe Parrish Out 4-6 Weeks

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As fortunate as the Buffalo Bills have been with injuries (or lack thereof) this season compared to 2007, the team lost one of their key players today when receiver/kick returner Roscoe Parrish underwent surgery on his thumb that will sideline him roughly 4-6 weeks. Head coach Dick Jauron explained:

“Roscoe we anticipate will be out for a good while. We’re hoping four to six weeks in that range. That obviously sets us back a little bit. But it’s probably as good as the news could be when we first heard about the injury ….. It wasn’t a bone issue. My understanding was it was a ligament issue and there’s no support for the thumb if it moves a certain way. Talking to him today he wasn’t in a lot of pain or discomfort with it. We’re just hoping it heals real fast and we get him back on the field.”

This is a huge blow to the Bills special teams unit and to the receiving corps, but it will mean more snaps for two high-profile rookies who will try to fill-in while Roscoe is on the mend. Leodis McKelvin is expected to assume the punt return role and James Hardy should see more work as a receiver. I think both will perform admirably, but you don’t replace Roscoe Parrish. He is one of the best punt returners in the game and as cliché as it sounds, a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He’ll be missed.

Source: BuffaloBills.com