Bills GM Brandon Beane weighs in on NFL Combine medicals after Abdul Carter injury

Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane provided observations on how NFL franchises address medical issues at the draft. He has been the Bills' roster builder since 2017.

Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday, Beane spoke about how medical evaluations factor into a team's draft planning.

"You've got to make sure you have the people that you trust to make those decisions," Beane said. "And if it's medical, you're counting on your physicians, and they understand, you know, how important is, especially when you're talking about drafting a guy as high as Abdul Carter. There (are) some guys that we may have a third-round grade on, and our doc may say, 'Hey, I think this is a one contract player,' like he's got bad knee arthritis, I think he can make it three or four years.

"We may say, 'Well, we're not going to take him in the third,' but if he fell to the fifth or the sixth, what's the odds of a fifth, sixth round(er)? And there's been many stories of guys that have failed their physical and they've played into multiple contracts. So at some point, it's worth the risk."

Beane's comments follow news that Abdul Carter, who was at the top of The Athletic's 2025 NFL Draft consensus big board, found a stress reaction in his right foot. It was discovered when he underwent medical tests at the NFL Combine on Thursday, per ESPN and The Athletic.

The stakes are high for Abdul Carter

NFL: Scouting Combine - Source: Imagn

As The Athletic explained on Thursday, the estimated contract for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft is a four-year $42.4 million package. If he falls to fifth overall, it would be a $36 million deal — a difference of $6.4 million.

Carter's representative, Drew Rosenhaus, acted swiftly to downplay his injury. Rosenhaus called it a "nonfactor" in Carter's draft stock and said that surgery would not be required. In Forbes' story on Friday, Rosenhaus said that Carter will attend Penn State's pro day on March 28 without the need for surgery.

The stakes are still high for Carter, who made his draft aspirations clear at the combine.

"I feel like it's very realistic," Carter said on Wednesday, via ESPN. "I feel like I'm the best player in the country, and the best player should be selected No. 1."

Teams that possess top picks like Tennessee, Cleveland and New York have to balance Carter's undeniable skill against possible future injury issues.