ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills safety George Wilson will miss the rest of the regular season with two broken ribs, but the team has no immediate plans to place him on injured reserve while it remains alive in the AFC playoff race.
Coach Dick Jauron said Monday the first-year starter was scheduled to be released from a Buffalo-area hospital later in the day after he was held overnight for observation.
Wilson was hurt when he was hit hard trying to catch a short kickoff late in the first quarter of Buffalo's 38-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Wilson, who muffed the kickoff, returned for a few defensive plays in the second quarter before missing the rest of the game.
Rather than place Wilson on season-ending IR, Jauron said the team -- already thin at defensive back -- will keep its options open with him on the active roster.
Wilson is a converted receiver who made the switch to defense this offseason. He took over at free safety in Week 5 after starter Ko Simpson (broken ankle) was placed on IR and backup Jim Leonhard missed three games with a calf injury.
In his third year with the Bills, Wilson has shone in his new role. Earlier in the game against Miami, he scored on a 20-yard fumble return after quarterback John Beck had the ball slip out of his hands. It was Wilson's second score this season, the first coming in his debut as a starter when he intercepted Tony Romo and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown in a 25-24 loss to Dallas on Oct. 8.
Wilson is tied for second on the team with two interceptions, and has been credited with 40 tackles in 12 games, including nine starts, this season.
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