Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins will be out for a while, but he won’t have to go under the knife, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This week, foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson informed Watkins that he won’t need surgery and he can instead get by with just rest and rehab. That leaves the door open for Watkins to return to action late in the season. 
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Late last month, the Bills placed Watkins on injured reserve but the new rules allow teams to bring one player back from IR each season after eight weeks on the shelf. That means that the wide receiver could potentially return as soon for Week 12.
Watkins, 23, has been dealing with his foot issue since May, when he had a screw inserted following what was termed a “minor” fracture. The ailment clearly held him back this season as he recorded just six catches for 63 yards in two games. The foot was also an issue for Watkins in 2015, but he powered through the pain on most weeks.