Although Seantrel Henderson is suspended for the first five games of the 2017 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills offensive tackle will not be spending that time moping at home. One thing he won’t be doing much of at all, it seems, is moping.
Matthew Fairburn interviewed Henderson on Sunday, and the gargantuan veteran entering his fourth NFL season seemed “like he’s enjoying himself for the first time in a long time.” Henderson discussed his weight, which is back up to 340 pounds; he weighed in at “only” 280 after his second surgery to remove parts of his intestine affected by Crohn’s Disease.
“Man, meats and grains and heavy just staying on top of my diet daily. A lot of working out to go along with it. I went through so much last year, I know exactly what I can eat. I just about eat the same things every day. Just so I can keep my weight up and don't drop down again,” Henderson said.
Managing the painful autoimmune disease nearly cost him his playing career, but it seems that he is on the path to recovery now. His suspension relates to a second positive test for marijuana last November. While marijuana is a popular treatment option for Crohn’s patients, the NFL provides no exemptions for medical marijuana under its current collective bargaining agreement. Henderson’s agent was not pleased about that, but the rules are the rules, and Henderson served five games of a ten-game suspension to end last season. The first game this season where he’ll be eligible to play is a week 7 match-up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bills will be coming off their bye week prior to that game.
With Henderson taking first-team reps as the left tackle when Cordy Glenn rests his sore foot, it appears that head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison trust that Henderson can serve as the swing tackle on game days at the very least. Henderson has started 26 NFL games at right tackle in his career, so it’s also possible that he could push Jordan Mills or Dion Dawkins out of the starting lineup when he returns.
Henderson says that he’ll be with the team for the duration of his suspension. He will attend meetings and continue working out in order to maintain the momentum he’s gained with a strong training camp.
As Henderson said himself, “Before you know it, those five games will be up and I'll be back out there.”