Buffalo Bills fans got a double dose of bad news on Monday. It was announced that the Bills’ first-round pick Shaq Lawson will be having surgery on his shoulder, sidelining him for four to six months. Team sources say that Lawson aggravated a pre-existing injury to his shoulder during an off-season workout drill. Lawson is expected to undergo surgery sometime this week with a rehabilitation timetable to be scheduled.
It was also reported by many that Sammy Watkins, the Bills’ star wide out had undergone foot surgery during the off-season,opening up speculation that he would be sidelined for the pre-season. According to the Buffalo News, “It is possible that Watkins suffered a Jones fracture, a fracture of the meta-diaphyseal junction of the fifth metatarsal.”
Buffalo Bills Woes Continue
For most Bills and other NFL fans, pre-season games are meaningless games where injuries that do mean something usually happen, so if Watkins sits out pre-season then it makes perfect sense. Rest the injury, make sure he comes back fully healed. This is not the first injury for Watkins, as he dealt with both hip and rib issues his rookie year. Even so, in an injury plagued rookie year, Watkins amassed 65 receptions for 982 yards, not an easy feat for a healthy receiver.
In 2015 Watkins underwent hip surgery during the off season, before dealing with even more injuries, this time to his hip, calf, and foot. Even while dealing with these injuries, he managed to accrue 60 receptions for 1047 yards. Watkins is a force to be reckoned with on the field, and if this Bills offense is going to run on all cylinders for the entire season, then he must rest the pre=season and come back healthy. Owners and players only need look to instances where players have rushed in too early, and aggravated an injury re-injuring themselves and setting their rehabilitation programs back.
ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 27: Sammy Watkins #14 of the Buffalo Bills runs with the ball after the catch against the Dallas Cowboys during NFL game action at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 27, 2015 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
