GettyTerrel Bernard celebrates a play in a Buffalo Bills game.

 

The Buffalo Bills could have a return date circled on the calendar for linebacker Terrel Bernard.

 

The middle linebacker has been out since suffering a pectoral injury in the team’s Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, but took a step forward this week as he returned to practice.

 

“LB Terrel Bernard (pec) returned to #Bills practice Thursday for first time since sustaining a pec injury during BUF’s Week 2 win over Dolphins,” reporter Alex Brasky noted in a post on X. “Bernard was in red non-contact jersey, participated in individual drills. Has already been declared OUT Sunday vs Ravens”

 

Bernard also revealed his potential return date, telling reporters he could be back on the field for the team’s Week 5 game against the Houston Texans. But Bernard could not say for certain if he would be ready to play for next week’s game.

 

“I hope so. It’s hard to put a timeline,” Bernard said after practice on Friday, via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. “That would be awesome if it is. I’m going to do everything in my power to try and make it out there, but we’ll kind of see how it goes.”

 

Bills Lost Top Defensive Player

 

Bernard is coming off a breakout season where he made a team-high 143 tackles with 6.5 sacks, five passes defended, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He was named the team’s defensive captain prior to this season.

 

Third-year linebacker Baylon Spector, who had played mostly on special teams before this season, started in Bernard’s place against the Jacksonville Jaguars and made six tackles.

 

The team appears to have planned a Week 5 return for Bernard as well. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said after Bernard’s injury that he would likely avoid a trip to the injured reserve, which would have kept him out until at least Week 6.

 

“Don’t know anything else right now,” McDermott said, via SI.com’s Kyle Silagyi. “I don’t think so, but I can’t make that statement with 100% certainty right now. I feel like we won’t have to go that direction.”

 

Bernard could still have some work to do before returning to full strength. He was seen wearing what appeared to be a harness in his return to practice this week.