​As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2026 NFL season, Bills Wire will take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. The team has some cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they’ll have help from some new additions as well.Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top-30 most important players on the roster. We’ll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to what they’ll offer in 2026, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.Next on the countdown is Terrel Bernard.BackgroundPosition: LinebackerAge at start of season: 27Experience: Sixth year2026 cap hit: $5,352,0002025 recapEarly this offseason, Terrel Bernard described his 2025 season as the “hardest year” so far for him as a football player. It was a frustrating season as far as injuries go. He suffered a pulled hamstring in training camp, an ankle injury in Week 6, a severe right elbow injury in Week 12, and a calf injury in Week 17 which ended his season. In his first season after signing a four-year extension, he started just 11 games for the Bills, intercepting one pass, and making 65 combined tackles. He received just a 48.8 grade from Pro Football Focus during his injury-riddles season, which ranked 73rd out of 88 NFL linebackers.2026 outlookHead coach Joe Brady said this preseason that Bernard “is going to be good to go” for the regular season after an offseason ankle surgery. He’ll be relied upon as a former team captain (captains haven’t been voted on yet this year) to be an integral part in the changing of defensive schemes from Sean McDermott’s system to Jim Leonhard’s. He’s penciled in as a starting off-ball linebacker in the new 3-4 scheme and will look to bounce back from his physically-demanding 2025 campaign.Biggest question: How will he fit in the new defense?We’ve seen Bernard have success under McDermott being the leader of the 4-2-5 defense, but it remains to be seen how his play style will translate to Leonhard’s 3-4 defense. Bernard has a lighter frame for a middle linebacker and is usually most productive when asked to play coverage. He is, however, just a couple seasons removed from his 6.5-sack year in 2023, so he’s proven he can disguise and get after the QB. We’ll have to see how Bernard fares in the new 3-4, but Leonhard has dealt with these hybrid-types of players like Bernard and has had success putting them in the right situations.”There are unique skill sets all around the NFL where guys don’t quite fit in your traditional box of edge defender, defensive tackle, linebacker, nickel, safety,” Leonhard said early this offseason. “And that’s where I’ve had the most success in my career as a coach, finding those guys that fit in a little bit different role.”30 most important Bills of 2026Check back as we continue the countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2026 season.This article originally appeared on Bills