The Bills had their first practice of the week as they prepare for their season opening matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Before practice, head coach Sean McDermott provided an injury update. EDGE Javon Solomon (oblique) did not practice, QB Mitch Trubisky (knee) was limited in practice. S Cole Bishop (shoulder), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder) and WR Curtis Samuel (toe) were all full participants.

With the 53-man roster, practice squad, and captains set, all eyes are on Week 1 and the start of the NFL season.

LB Terrel Bernard and QB Josh Allen react to being named captains

Before practice, McDermott announced that QB Josh Allen and LB Terrel Bernard would be the team's captains for the 2024 season, along with a leadership council of 10 other players to help lead the team. Both Bernard and Allen will have a 'C' on their jersey starting Week 1.

The seventh year QB sees being named as a captain as an honor but recognizes that leadership takes a whole group effort.

"I think at the end of the day it's a huge honor to be elected as a captain to an NFL team," Allen said. "That being said, it takes a village, right? It takes everybody on this team to one, follow coach McDermott's leadership and the trajectory he has for this team, the mindset. And we're just there as guys that help push and help it along."

For Bernard, this is the first time that he has been named captain in his three-year career. Allen was excited for Bernard when he found out, citing that he works extremely hard. While Allen was addressing the media, he saw Bernard working on the JUGS machine, accentuating his point.

"He works his tail off, communicates well and has the respect of everyone in this locker room and it shows," Allen said. "Happy and excited for him. It speaks volumes to the type of character he has and the type of leader he is already at such a young age. He's a special one."

Bernard also echoed Allen's sentiments that being named a captain as an honor.

"I think having the respect and trust of my teammates is a big thing for me, it's something that I really try to work on over these last couple of years," Bernard said. "So, to be named captain, I don't take it lightly, I know it's something that I'm going to have to work on every single day, just holding myself to a standard, and then doing that to the guys around me. But I'm thankful, and I'm ready to do the work for it."

Edge rusher Von Miller also had high praise for Bernard, calling him "our Josh Allen" on defense.

"He's the middle linebacker of this defense," Miller said. "That's the quarterback, that's our quarterback. That's our Josh Allen, and he's taking huge strides to become a leader, and he's gaining his voice, and he's stepping into that role in a beautiful way… He's out there, he has the microphone, he's calling the shots, he's calling the plays… I voted for TB. I wanted to see him do it, year three as a team captain, you know, year 10, who knows what type of, you know, role he'll step in, and it's, it's an honor and a privilege to be his teammate. And I'm excited for him."

Von Miller and Damar Hamlin ready to help the Bills win

Last season, both S Damar Hamlin and edge rusher Von Miller had to get their feet back under them on the football field as they both dealt with separate circumstances. Now, they are both ready to step into their roles on this defense.

When asked who will start at safety next to S Taylor Rapp, McDermott had one name: Damar Hamlin.

"Yeah. I mean, what else can't this young man do? I mean, he's basically went through what he went through on the field," McDermott said. "… It's one thing to come back off of an ACL or a broken bone. It's another thing to come back off of what he came back off of, right, let alone just to decide to play football and contact football, right, in full pads at the NFL level. I don't think I need to say anything more. I mean, it's incredible. I think God's hand has been on Damar and his family and will continue to be, and we're just extremely proud and full of gratitude to watch him go through what he's went through and where he is now."

Hamlin, wearing a hoodie that read "Don't Quit" spoke about what it means to be sitting there and knowing that he will be the starter on Sunday, after not knowing if he would ever be able to play football again, but not skipping steps in his process. Hamlin's starting spot was earned, not given, as the safety continually impressed during training camp and preseason.

"Truly a blessing," Hamlin said. "I reflect back on the whole process and me not knowing if I would even be able to play again, sitting in the uncertainty, it was really eating at me because football is truly my passion. It's the thing that I've always been obsessed with my entire life. It all goes to the power of being process-oriented and taking things one day at a time and accepting where you are each step in the process. It truly allows you to conquer anything that you're facing."

Miller also mentioned that he feels that he is exactly where he needs to be in his process as well and that he is ready to adapt to his role with the Bills' defense in 2024.

"I came off the bench last year, and I'll be coming off the bench this year, and I'll just do whatever it takes to win," Miller said. "I'm here and ready to do whatever I can do to contribute to winning and helping us become our best form as a football team… I just want to win the game… This is my 14^th year in the league, and all I want to do is win."

Why the Bills offense wants to keep their opponents guessing this year

The Bills "new look" offense did not see too much playing time in the preseason with Allen at the helm, but the quarterback is confident in the group heading into the first game against the Cardinals.

"Yeah, we've got a lot of new guys, new faces, and just trying to spread the wealth," Allen said. "I think the term we've been using is 'Everybody eats' and it's going to take all 11 guys on the field at any given time to make a play go. That's our mindset. It doesn't really matter who gets the ball or when they get it. We're going to be happy for whatever we're doing out there and just try to make the best play possible."

Adding in several new key pieces and OC Joe Brady's vision has helped the players create what they believe will be an unpredictable offense.

"It's like if I'm talking about the opponent, they're gonna have to guess," OL Dion Dawkins said. "Now we have so many different pieces where the ball can go that it's going to be hard to game plan against us, because everybody that's on the football field is pretty freaking good."

"Nobody, looking from the outside, can predict what's going to happen."

WR Curtis Samuel echoed the same idea, saying that no one will be able to predict what the offense will do.

"I feel like teams, going into this year, I feel like they don't even know what we're gonna do," Samuel said. "And I feel like that's a great thing. We got so many weapons, so many different guys that could do a lot of a lot of different things. I feel like that makes us scary."

McDermott likes what Samuel can bring to the offense, continuing on the theme of unpredictability.

"Well, it offers some level of unpredictability, I would guess, but overall, what's important mostly for us is that we get into a rhythm and we continue to learn some of these new players that we have, Curtis being one of them."