Canadian defensive tackle Eli Ankou will get his first taste of action this NFL season on Super Wild Card Weekend.
The Ottawa native was elevated from the practice roster by the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, in preparation for their playoff clash with the Miami Dolphins. Ankou has yet to play a game for the team this season and was on the practice roster injured list until this week.
The UCLA product has bounced around the NFL recently, having been a member of the Indianapolis Colts (2020), Houston Texans (2020), Dallas Cowboys (2020), Atlanta Falcons (2021), Pittsburgh Steelers (2021) and Tennessee Titans (2021) and the Bills over the last two years.
The 28-year-old originally signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He was claimed off waivers that year by the Jacksonville Jaguars and spent two seasons with the team, recording 19 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 11 regular season games.
He dressed for nine games with the Cleveland Browns in 2019, making seven total tackles and one tackle for loss. The team claimed him off waivers in October 2019 and lost him to the waiver wire in September 2020 when he got picked up by the Colts.
Ankou was later released by Indianapolis, signing back in Houston before being traded to the Cowboys, where he played seven games and made five tackles. He flipped between the Falcons and Bills the following offseason but landed on the Steelers practice squad mid-way through the 2021 season.
He later joined the Tennessee Titans for a single game before signing with Buffalo for a third time. Ankou dressed for five games and recorded nine tackles and a sack, earning another season with the club.
The six-foot-three, 325-pounder has appeared in 33 NFL games, starting three, recording 43 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks. He has earned over $2.79 million in his career to date.
Ankou was selected in the third round of the 2017 CFL Draft by the Ottawa Redblacks, who still own his CFL rights. He is a proud member of the Dokis First Nation.
The Bills (13-3) are scheduled to host the Dolphins (9-8) at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, January 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST.