Buffalo Bills OTA practice, one starting defensive back stood out—was wearing a red non-contact jersey, signaling that he’s still working his way back from injury. He later explained the reason, and it could raise concerns for the Bills’ defense.
Top star, a 2018 fourth-round pick out of Weber State, delivered a standout performance in 2023, earning second-team All-Pro honors thanks to his 72 solo tackles and 98 total stops. That season also marked the first time in his seven-year career that he played—and started—in every game.
But that streak came to an abrupt end in 2024, when he suffered a forearm fracture during the Bills’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Forearm Injury Shortened Johnson’s Season
“The injury happened early in the game,” reported Vritti Johar of ComingSoon.net, noting that Taron Johnson went down to a knee during a defensive series and was ruled out shortly after. The injury occurred during the Cardinals’ opening 70-yard touchdown drive.
After briefly testing the injured forearm on the sideline, Johnson headed to the locker room and didn’t return to action until Week 6, when the Bills took on the division rival New York Jets.
In total, the forearm fracture sidelined Johnson for four full games and nearly all of a fifth. He also sat out the regular-season finale against the New England Patriots, a game that had no impact on Buffalo’s playoff seeding.
Johnson was ready for the postseason, but misfortune struck again in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ divisional playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens. While attempting a tackle, Johnson landed hard on his shoulder, and there was speculation at the time that he suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder.
“Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson threw deep intended for tight end Isaiah Likely,” recalled Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reporter Ryan Miller at the time. “The pass was off target, but Johnson kept chasing the play, continuing his effort while trailing Likely.”
Johnson Reveals Offseason Surgery to Repair Shoulder
Unfortunately for both Taron Johnson and the Bills’ defense, the injury he sustained was more serious than the initially suspected subluxation. A subluxation refers to a partial dislocation where the joint surfaces still make contact but are misaligned. In Johnson’s case, the injury turned out to be a full labrum tear, which he confirmed during Tuesday’s OTA availability.
Speaking with Buffalo News reporter Katherine Fitzgerald, Johnson revealed the true extent of the injury:
“I tore my labrum last year, so after the season, I got it repaired,” said the 28-year-old Sacramento native.
“Feels good, pretty much feels close to normal,” he added. “That’s all I can really ask for—being healthy before training camp so I can fully train and get ready for the season.”
According to Dr. Kyle Trimble, a physical therapist who runs the Banged Up Bills website, recovery from labral repair surgery typically takes six to nine months.
“Plenty of guys have had this procedure and return to play the next season without a drop-off in performance,” Trimble noted.
Although Johnson has been participating in OTAs in a limited, non-contact role, he told Fitzgerald he expects to be fully cleared for training camp in late July. Still, based on the standard recovery timeline, there remains a chance he may not be completely ready until the start of the regular season in September.
The 2025 campaign will mark the second year of Johnson’s three-year, $31 million contract extension with the Bills.