Bills Make Final Decision on Key Cornerback for Ravens Game

The Buffalo Bills have been hit hard by injuries in the secondary, but will have their top cornerback on the field when they open the season against the Baltimore Ravens.

The team announced inactives for Sunday night’s game, listing Christian Benford as active after he had missed practices earlier in the week with a groin issue. The Bills are missing both other candidates to start, putting a rookie in position to start in his first NFL game.

Christian Benford Made Late Recovery After Being Sidelined

Benford had been limited in practice to start the week, but was able to participate in full on Thursday and did not have a designation in the final injury report on Friday. Still, his status remained uncertain heading into Sunday night’s game against the Ravens.

The Bills published their list of inactives for Sunday’s game, including wide receiver Curtis Samuel, offensive linemen Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Chase Lundt, defensive end Landon Jackson, cornerback Tre’Davious White, and safety Jordan Hancock.

Benford came to the Bills as a sixth-round pick in 2022 and quickly worked his way up to a starting role, surpassing the team’s first-round pick that season, Kaiir Elam. As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted, Benford has developed into a lockdown cornerback and the best player in Buffalo’s secondary.

“He already put together an incredible season as one of the Bills’ best players in just his third NFL season,” Buscaglia wrote. Benford was one of the best cornerbacks in the league in 2024, proving technically savvy as a high-level zone defender with elite instincts and as someone who has become a great man-coverage defender when asked to do so. He only turns 25 in September, and the shocking part about his game is that he still has room to grow.”

The Bills have a question mark beside Benford in the lineup after a pair of injuries to the other top players. Rookie Maxwell Hairston went down with an injury at training camp and was placed on injured reserve, while veteran Tre’Davious White was also hurt and listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game.

Keon Coleman’s Status in Question

Wide receiver Keon Coleman was also listed on the injury report, which SI.com’s Ralph Ventre pointed out was an injury that likely hit during practice this week.

“The fact that head coach Sean McDermott did not mention Coleman during his pre-practice comments suggests that the wide receiver may have tweaked something while practicing,” Ventre wrote. “The 2024 second-round draft pick holds a starting WR spot on the team’s Week 1 depth chart.”

Coleman is expected to take on a more significant role in the offense after showing promise in an injury-shortened rookie season. Coleman made 29 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns despite missing a five-game stretch after injuring his hand in a win against the Miami Dolphins.

Wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who was hurt during a practice in July and missed a long stretch of training camp and the preseason, was also able to return and listed as active for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he was confident that Shakir could return to his role as the team’s top receiver and that the time missed wouldn’t hurt his connection with quarterback Josh Allen.

LeBron James Has to Pass the Baton to Luka Doncic, Says Charles Barkley

LeBron James was the main guy in high school, the first pick of the 2003 Draft, and the top option on all three NBA teams he has represented. But at 40 years old, it may be time for him to start thinking about the future and gradually step aside to give the spotlight to someone else. With Luka Doncic’s arrival at the Los Angeles Lakers, James is now shifting into a second-option role, and that is uncharted territory for him.

Charles Barkley spoke about James’ current situation in the latest episode of Bill Simmons’ podcast. The Round Mound of Rebounds, like the host, has never gotten along too well with James, even though they both acknowledge his greatness. Still, managing to put bias aside, they discussed what’s next for the four-time NBA champ.

Fanatics' Alex Subers taps Jalen Hurts, Kevin Hart for boardroom

Simmons noted that James finds himself in a ‘weird situation’ heading into the 2025/26 season, with the Lakers clearly positioning Doncic as the new face of the franchise. It’s a sentiment echoed by many in recent weeks, which may be why Barkley, never one to mince words, bluntly suggested that The King hand over the keys to his kingdom.

“It’s time to move on, brother!” Barkley said, before noting that a changing of the guard has always been part of the story in historic franchises.

“Kareem. Hey, Bill. See, this is the problem. Kareem did it with Magic. Tim Duncan did it with Tony Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. You have to, Bill!” he said with passion. “The baton has to be passed from everybody. It’s passed from everybody. The Lakers have been irrelevant! The Bubble was the last time they’ve been relevant!”

Of course, Doncic’s arrival made the Lakers stronger than they were before the trade, but it still wasn’t enough to get them past the Minnesota Timberwolves, who defeated them in just five games. Barkley argued that despite the star power, the Lakers remain a tier below the best teams in the West — Oklahoma City, Denver, and Houston.

The 76ers legend added that other Hall of Famers have been helped late in their career by younger superstars, and brought up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan specifically. “It should make it easier. Magic and James Worthy were probably responsible for the last two championships,” he went on.

“And for Tim Duncan, who’s the greatest power forward ever, I think Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard were responsible for the last two championships,” Chuck argued. “He still gets the championship ring! If the Lakers win the championship, and Luka gets Finals MVP, LeBron still gets the championship ring!”

Both Barkley and Simmons make valid points, but from James’ perspective, any championship without a Finals MVP would almost certainly be used against him in the GOAT debate. Jordan went six-for-six on both championships and Finals MVPs. Kobe Bryant, despite being universally beloved, still has his lack of Finals MVPs brought up, as does Steph Curry.

Right now, nobody knows exactly what James is thinking, but it’s clear he understands what it will take to win another ring. If he chooses to play second fiddle to Luka, it could benefit both him and the Lakers, and #5 might still be within reach if everything falls into place.