Bills 'Unfortunate' Tommy Doyle Injury Part of Brutal NFL Saturday
The Buffalo Bills not only lost a preseason game on Saturday night but it appears that they've lost one of their most recurring characters as well.
Reserve offensive lineman Tommy Doyle suffered a painful knee injury that required an exit on the medical cart during the second half of a 27-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
Doyle's departure was one of several injuries that paused preseason action on Saturday: in East Rutherford, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback John Wolford sustained a neck injury that required similar assistance. The New England Patriots' exhibition in Green Bay was ended early entirely when rookie defender Isaiah Bolden sustained a serious injury when he inadvertently collided with a teammate while trying to make a tackle.
Losing Doyle to a third quarter injury has superficial roster concerns by losing a depth star mere days after another, Brandon Shell, set retirement plans into motion. But Bills brass rued losing an unsung staple of their recent run of success in the new decade.
“It’s just unfortunate,” coach Sean McDermott said. “He’s worked so hard and put in so much time and I know how much this game means to him and how much this team means to him.”
"The dude’s a warrior. I feel for him. I think everybody on our team feels for him, just seeing how hard he worked to get back," quarterback Josh Allen said. “I’m not sure what it is and the severity of it, but we’re thinking about him, we’re praying for him. We love him. I think you can see how many guys went out there and gave him a little tap or just an ‘I love you man.’ You hate to see it. It’s a part of the game, but you hate to see it, especially when it’s your own teammates and a guy who has worked so hard to get back on the field.”
Doyle has been with the Bills since they drafted him in 2021's fifth round out of Miami (OH). He gained a solid following as a Buffalo cult hero during the playoff run after his rookie season, as his one-yard touchdown reception from Allen put the finishing touches on the Bills' blowout Wild Card victory over New England.
This summer also marked Doyle's return to action after a torn ACL limited him to just a single game last season.
The summer injuries sustained by Doyle, Bolden, Wolford, and others could potentially serve as referendum on the necessity of preseason football, which has wrecked countless seasons with ailments sustained in meaningless games. For the time being, however, the Bills finish their own three-game slate on Saturday when they face the Chicago Bears on the road (1 p.m. ET, WIVB).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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