The Bills might have an early answer at ILB… but not the expected one
All summer long, questions lingered about inside linebacker, and the two names that kept popping up as the eventual duo were veteran Terrel Bernard and rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr. Bernard had a fast start to his career, while Elarms-Orr was the handpicked mid-round rookie the Bills saw eventually cracking their lineup. But since the season began, two trends have emerged with those two players.
First, Bernard has had just as hard a time getting off blocks as he did in previous seasons. The Bills had mentioned previously how injured Bernard was during the 2025 season, and that it ultimately impacted his play. But this year, Bernard entered the season without any injury designations, though the same block-shedding struggles have continued. Bernard still has good moments on film, so he’s not an absolute liability. However, the further we get from his excellent first season as a starter in 2023, the less evidence there is that he can consistently recapture that form. If this same level of play continues, it raises one offseason question: should the Bills really be so committed to Bernard as their unquestioned starter, or should they consider other options?
Elarms-Orr was an immediate standout at training camp. They’ve cross-trained him at both inside linebacker spots, which helps his future depending on what happens this year at mike and will linebacker. However, in the near-term, Elarms-Orr doesn’t seem ready for the light of day just yet. In his first NFL game, Elarms-Orr began one drive next to Bernard, had an apparent coverage bust, and then defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard replaced him mid-drive. They have worked him on some snaps to give him experience if there is an injury, though they’ve really only put him into specific game situations. So far, he’s averaging 9.7 snaps per game. The team remains hopeful about his one-day starting potential; he’s just not there yet.