The Buffalo Bills are set to take on the Chicago Bears in their second preseason matchup. However, it sounds like Buffalo is dealing with some injury concerns on the offensive line, as starting left tackle Dion Dawkins missed practice on Wednesday.

Head coach Sean McDermott revealed that Dawkins, who is 31 years old, is dealing with a back injury, according to Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News and WGR 550 Sports Radio. The good news is that the Bills are optimistic about the situation, and the hope is that he’ll be ready to return to practice by Friday.

“Sean McDermott told WGR 550 that left tackle Dion Dawkins aggravated a back injury yesterday, which explains his absence from practice today. The team is hopeful Dawkins can practice Friday in Chicago.”

Dawkins has been incredibly durable throughout his NFL career. In the first eight seasons of his career, all of which are with the Bills, the four-time Pro Bowler has only missed four games. The optimism coming out of Buffalo is a good sign, as the organization doesn’t seem too concerned about the long-term effect of Dion Dawkins’ back injury.

The Bills don’t play the Bears in their preseason matchup until Sunday, August 17. So, Dawkins has plenty of time to get right and be ready for that contest. That is, assuming he has no setbacks. But it sounds like it may depend on what his status is on Friday.

Buffalo is viewed as one of the few teams that could realistically win the Super Bowl next season. However, despite the club’s success in recent years, the Bills have yet to win a championship. With Josh Allen under center and the front office continuously finding ways to improve the roster, perhaps the 2025-26 season is finally the year they get over the hurdle.

The Bills kick off the regular season with a tough Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. At the very least, the season opener will be at home, which should give Buffalo a little bit of an advantage against the Ravens.