Ray’s comeback hits snag as Bills put DE on IR

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — After making it back to an NFL roster following four years away from the league, defensive end Shane Ray‘s journey has hit another bump in the road.

On Monday, the Buffalo Bills placed Ray on injury reserve. The move will likely end his season unless an injury settlement is reached. Coach Sean McDermott described him as “day-to-day” on Sunday.

Ray left Saturday’s preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a hamstring injury. In two preseason games, he played 32 defensive snaps, nine special teams snaps and one 2-point conversion. Ray, 30, was a longshot to make a competitive Bills’ 53-man roster but played well throughout training camp and the preseason.

The 2015 first-round pick by the Denver Broncos signed with the Bills after a successful rookie minicamp tryout. Ray was on the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, and had his most productive season in his second season, with eight sacks and 21 quarterback hits, but he suffered a left wrist injury during training camp in 2017 that led to four surgeries. Ray played 19 games with the Broncos over his final two seasons, but they did not re-sign him at the end of his rookie deal.

After some time away, in part due to COVID-19, he played two seasons for the Toronto Argonauts (2021-22).

“I had to humble myself — more humbled than I could ever been before. From going to Canada and buying in, you know — I can’t act like there was days that I didn’t walk in, and I was like, ‘Bro, this is where I am? Like, I’m not supposed to be here,'” Ray said about his time in the CFL. “But that’s where I was, and I had to grind through it.”

The Bills also placed tackle Tommy Doyle on injured reserve. McDermott had said Doyle would be out for the season after he was being carted off the field in Saturday’s game. The team also signed running back Ty Johnson and tackle Garrett McGhin on Monday.