During Tuesday’s Buffalo Bills organized team activity (OTA), one of the team’s starting defensive backs was seen wearing a red non-contact jersey—a sign that he’s not fully cleared for physical play. He later shared the reason behind it, and it could spell trouble for the Bills’ defense.
Taron Johnson, a fourth-round pick in 2018 (121st overall) out of Weber State, had a standout season in 2023, earning second-team All-Pro honors with 72 solo tackles and 98 total. That year also marked the first time in his seven-year career that he started and played in every game.
However, that streak ended in 2024 when Johnson suffered a forearm fracture during the Bills’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Forearm Injury Shortened Johnson’s Season
According to Vritti Johar of ComingSoon.net, Taron Johnson’s injury occurred early in the game during a defensive series, when he dropped to a knee and was later ruled out. The incident took place during the Cardinals’ opening 70-yard touchdown drive.
After briefly testing his forearm on the sideline, Johnson headed to the locker room and didn’t return until Week 6, when the Bills faced their division rivals, the New York Jets. In total, the forearm injury sidelined him for four full games and most of a fifth. He also sat out the regular-season finale against the Patriots, a game with no impact on Buffalo’s playoff position.
Johnson returned in time for the postseason and was effective — until the fourth quarter of the Bills’ divisional-round win over the Baltimore Ravens. During that game, he injured his shoulder while attempting a tackle, with reports suggesting a possible subluxation of his left shoulder.
As Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reporter Ryan Miller described it, “Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson threw deep, targeting tight end Isaiah Likely. The pass was off the mark, but Johnson kept up the pursuit while trailing Likely,” ultimately falling awkwardly during the play.
Johnson Reveals Offseason Surgery to Repair Shoulder
Unfortunately for both Taron Johnson and the Bills’ defense, the injury he sustained was more serious than initially believed. What was thought to be a shoulder subluxation — a partial dislocation where the joint surfaces remain in contact but misaligned — turned out to be a torn labrum. In contrast, a full dislocation involves the complete separation of joint bones.
Speaking with Buffalo News reporter Katherine Fitzgerald on Tuesday, Johnson clarified the nature 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 site, recovery from labrum 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,” Trimble noted.
While Johnson participated in OTAs on a non-contact basis, he told Fitzgerald he expects to be fully ready for the start of training camp in late July. Still, based on the standard recovery timeline, there’s a chance he may not be 100% cleared until closer to the start of the regular season in September.
Johnson enters 2025 in the second year of a three-year, $31 million contract extension with Buffalo.
