Report: Buffalo Bills offensive starter has sustained career-ending neck injury

The Buffalo Bills were relatively healthy in 2017, but a report says the team has already suffered a major loss this offseason. According to SCOUT.com, a major injury has been sustained by a member of the team.

“Our source confirms an offensive starter for the Buffalo Bills has unfortunately sustained a VERY serious injury and will be holding a press conference on Monday to announce,” said the outlet in a tweet Friday morning. The report was teased Thursday night.

While most Bills fans responded with skepticism, SCOUT doubled down on Bills fans, reminding everyone they broke the story of the DeSean Jackson and Chip Kelly split in Philadelphia which turned out to be accurate.

Local media in Buffalo started doing some digging and WGR 550 radio hosts Jeremy White and Howard Simon as well as reporter Tyler Dunne have all confirmed the reports but sources are refusing to name the player.

We can probably rule out Richie Incognito and LeSean McCoy, who are participating in the Pro Bowl and were spotted on the practice field Thursday being no worse for the wear. Shady was apparently playing air hockey after the initial report came out, too.

Let’s run down the list of obvious possibilities:

• Quarterback Tyrod Taylor sustained a concussion in the team’s playoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars but if the reaction was serious enough to warrant a press conference, it’s unlikely he would have been around the the noise and light at the Toronto Raptors game a few days later. Taylor has posted to SnapChat since the initial report showing his feet up and relaxing, for what it’s worth.
• Receiver Kelvin Benjamin recently went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus. It’s possible they found more extensive damage than they anticipated while performing the surgery, such as a partially torn ligament. (Update: John Wawrow of the Associated Press heavily hinted it was not Benjamin.)
• Offensive tackle Cordy Glenn also recently underwent surgery on his ailing ankle and foot problem. This chronic issue could have developed into one that is debilitating.
• Receiver Zay Jones had shoulder surgery earlier this offseason, but has said everything went well.
• Tight end Charles Clay has a history of back problems, so much that he received days off during the season as maintenance. It could have progressed to the point of no return.

Everyone else would be a surprise, which doesn’t rule them out. Injuries can happen for any number of reasons.

Center Eric Wood, guard Vlad Ducasse, tackle Jordan Mills, tackle Dion Dawkins, and fullback Patrick Dimarco are the remaining players that might count toward this and all are under contract in 2018. Dawkins was walking around Orlando last night after the reports came out, according to his Instagram account.

But not all of those players would be worth having an offseason press conference. When team leader and Rookie of the Year finalist Kiko Alonso tore his ACL several years ago, the team didn’t hold a press conference. So what caliber of player would the team need to reach to get to press conference level? Taylor, McCoy, Glenn, Wood, Incognito, Clay, Dawkins, Jones, and Benjamin might all move the needle enough to hold a presser.

For now, we will just have to wait and see.

UPDATE 10:00 a.m. Eastern:

SCOUTFantasy has now reported that the injury is considered career-ending.

“The reason why no one knows which player is injured is because the player asked teammates/organization not to say anything. They are respecting his wishes. I do not know who it is by the way,” says Sal Capaccio of WGR 550.

UPDATE: 10:45 a.m. Eastern:

SCOUTFantasy now reports center Eric Wood has sustained a career-ending neck injury. Here is our story.

Our thoughts and well wishes go out to Eric and his family. More info when we get it.