Injury concerns
McDermott, as mentioned, has to figure out a way to get an entire offseason’s worth of work from a mental standpoint into a few short weeks. That might overload players, for sure.
Players on McDermott’s team are professional athletes and in shape, however, there’s in shape, and then game shape. Guys haven’t been going head-to-head against others in a long time. So along with concerns about getting everyone on the same page, McDermott acknowledged there’s also a worry about physically getting guys into practices. Injuries such as a hamstring or groin could easily happen. McDermott acknowledges that and he’s trusting Bills team trainers to keep guys healthy, something that they’ve done relatively well since he took over in 2017.
“It’s real,” he said. “That is a challenge.”
“We’ve got a good sports science department here that I count on and I rely on,” McDermott added. “We’re all hands on-deck every year, including this year.”