Dawson Knox injury update: Latest on Bills TE for Fantasy Football Week 8

Dawson Knox has been a staple for the Buffalo Bills' offense, serving as one of their top red zone targets during the past three years. This has resulted in 16 touchdown receptions since the start of the 2021 NFL season. While he has appeared in every game for the Bills this year, his future availability appears to be in serious jeopardy after recently suffering a wrist injury.

The Bills tight end has been playing through the injury that he suffered in Week 5. He will reportedly undergo surgery following their Week 7 game. This means that fantasy football managers will likely need to make other plans for Week 8, as he appears unlikely to play.

Dawson Know injury update

Dawson Knox

Dawson Knox has apparently been battling through a severe wrist injury since Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season. He was able to play through it in each of the Buffalo Bills'next two games, but he will reportedly elect to have the required surgery on it now, rather than potentially waiting until later in the year or in the offseason.

Per NFL insider Adam Schefter via his X account:

"Bills’ HC Sean McDermott said TE Dawson Knox will have surgery on his wrist and “it’s too early to say how much time he’ll miss.” "

Rather than give a timeline for his potential return, head coach Sean McDermott instead opted to claim they are unsure how long he will be out for during a recent press conference. The Bills' next matchup comes in just a few days on Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so the shortened week further suggests that he is unlikely to be available.

Update: Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bills are likely to place Dawson Knox on Injured Reserve.

What happened to Dawson Knox?

Knox reportedly suffered a wrist injury during the Buffalo Bills' Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in one of the NFL London games. He proceeded to play each of their next two games in their entirety, being a full-go against the New York Giants and New England Patriots, despite his injury designation.

It's unclear if Knox suffered a setback during their recent defeat to the Patriots in Week 7 or if the injury continued to get worse as he attempted to play through it. He was apparently trying to hold off on the necessary surgery until the offseason, but will instead do the procedure ahead of Week 8, putting his staus in doubt.

When will Dawson Knox return?

According to McDermott, the Buffalo Bills are unsure at this point how much time Knox will be required to miss as he recovers from wrist surgery. While it's potentially a good sign that the head coach didn't announce this as a season-ending injury, the fact that it needs surgery suggests that he will be out for a bit.

With a short Week 8 ahead of them, it's highly unlikely that Knox will be available to play. Fantasy football managers will need to make other plans for their tight end position. Dalton Kincaid figures to receive additional playing time in Knox's absence, making him an ideal waiver wire target this week.