Bills LB Shawne Merriman missed practice on Thursday after suffering a lower leg injury in practice Wednesday. The injury setback prompted head coach Chan Gailey to declare the veteran linebacker out for Sunday's game against Detroit.
"Merriman strained an Achilles," said Gailey after practice Thursday. "It's not long term, but we don't know when yet, so we'll see."
For Merriman it's the same Achilles that he strained in the preseason, which forced him to miss San Diego's season opener when he was still on the Chargers roster. Gailey confirmed that it was the same Achilles for Merriman.
The pass rushing linebacker also dealt with a strained left calf that forced him to miss most of three games with the Chargers before the club put him on injured reserve with a minor injury designation.
When asked when Merriman might be ready to play in a game for the Bills, Gailey said there is no definitive timetable right now.
"We'll see what happens next week or it might be the next, I don't know," he said. "We're going to get him well. That's the most important thing is to get him well."
