Buffalo Bills defensive lineman, Ed Oliver was arrested Saturday night in Houston. Video of the incident was posted by Scott Engle, who has a newspaper and website called Montgomery County Police Reporter. Oliver was pulled over due to a 911 call from another driver.
“They stated the driver of the truck was failing to maintain a lane and driving dangerously in the 45 mph construction zone,” reads the caption on Engle’s YouTube video of the incident.
In the video of the traffic stop posted by Engle, Oliver is wearing a Buffalo Bills t-shirt. It shows his truck, which was pulling an ATV on a trailer. You can see several field sobriety tests being administered to Oliver.
Oliver was caught with an open beer and was taken in for a blood sample before he was taken to the jail. A search of his car found he was in possession of a pistol. He was charged with misdemeanor counts of DWI and illegal possession of a weapon.
“We are aware of the situation and we are gathering more information. We will have no further comment at this point,” said a statement from the Bills.
Oliver had a very promising rookie season after being taken with the ninth overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. Poised for a breakout season, Oliver’s fate for the start of the season could be in the league’s hands with the possibility of a suspension looming. No one was hurt in the incident and Oliver didn’t crash his vehicle, which would indicate that he would likely only receive a two-game suspension for the DWI, but the addition of the illegal gun charge adds concern for a longer punishment.
As Spotrac pointed out on Twitter, if he is suspended, not only will he lose his weekly game check, the remaining $6.8 million of his salary guarantee will void.
Oliver is the fourth NFL player arrested this weekend during what should be OTAs at their team facilities. Washington wide receiver Cody Latimer was charged with assault in the second degree, menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment. Seattle Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar and New York Giants CB Deandre Baker were accused of using a semi-automatic weapon to rob multiple people.