Bills’ Byrd may miss opener after groin surgery
The Buffalo Bills starting safety (and their best defensive player) Jairus Byrd is out indefinitely after undergoing groin surgery.
“It looks like he's going to be out for a while," Bills coach Chan Gailey said. "We're hoping first game, but it may be not."
Byrd suffered a similar injury in his rookie season; he missed the last two games of the season with a torn groin muscle. Despite missing those two games, Byrd still led the league in interceptions with nine in just 14 games. He was one of the few reasons why the Bills were able to squeak out some tough wins en route to a 6-10 record. The Bills missed the playoffs for a tenth year in a row. The Bills were ranked among the worst teams in the league in all major defensive categories but Byrd still was able to shine.
This is the third time in 13 months that Byrd has tried to repair a groin injury. Byrd may miss the season opener against Miami.
The second-round draft pick out of Oregon also set franchise records with interceptions in five consecutive games and most interceptions by a rookie. Byrd became the first Bills’ rookie safety to be selected into the Pro Bowl.
There is no recovery timetable for this kind of injury as this has been a recurring injury for Byrd for quite some time. His presence would be greatly missed in the opener against the Dolphins, with the Dolphins now having Brandon Marshall to pick apart the defence. Byrd was not only a Pro Bowler last year but he was the bright spot in another disappointing season for the Bills. He was not only their best defensive player, but the team’s best player.
The defence as a whole last year kept Buffalo in a lot of football games when the offence’s struggles never ceased. Byrd also had 45 tackles last year to go with his nine picks.
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