Injuries force Bills' offensive tackle into early NFL retirement

The Buffalo Bills lost a former draft pick to retirement on Friday.

Bills Tommy Doyle catches this pass from Josh Allen in a 47-17 win over the Patriots / JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE / USA TODAY NETWORK

He showed promise as a 2021 fifth-round draft pick, but offensive tackle Tommy Doyle's NFL career was derailed by multiple hard-luck injuries.

Doyle, who made 12 career regular season appearances for the Buffalo Bills, suffered major lower-body injuries in 2022 and 2023. After spending 2024 on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the bookend called it quits on Friday.

The Bills announced that the 26-year-old Doyle medically retired from the NFL.

"At this point, with the calendar and the healing process, it looks as though it's permanent. I'm just unable to play football at a high level, and it's time. When you know you know," said Doyle through the team's official press release.

Doyle's career endured its first major blow against the Miami Dolphins in 2022. With the Bills battling the South Florida sun in a bizarre September game that included an inordinate number of offensive line injuries, Doyle suffered a torn ACL during the 21-19 setback but finished the Week 3 divisional affair.

Jul 27, 2022; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills tackle Tommy Doyle (72) and tackle Spencer Brown (79) come off the field / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

On the comeback trail in 2023, Doyle injured his left leg in a preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and never fully recovered.

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"I was really battling and competing and working to come back from that (ACL) injury, only to be kind of struck with an even more disastrous injury," said Doyle, who reported lingering nerve damage. "I feel that this is the time to announce it and move on."

Doyle will always have his place in Bills' postseason history. As a rookie in 2021, he caught a touchdown pass in the AFC Wildcard Round against Bill Belichick's New England Patriots. In the 47-17 win, Buffalo's offense played a "perfect" game by scoring touchdowns on each of its first seven possessions and ending the eighth in victory formation.

Jan 15, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Tommy Doyle (72) catches a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card playoff game / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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